I was really lucky to have been there in front of the tv when
Omar Abdullah
of the J&K National Conference delivered his impassioned speech on the floor of the Lok Sabha during the trust the vote over the Nuclear Deal on 22 July, 2008. He spoke with a tremendous confidence and command which not only displayed his experience of having been around for 10 years but also gave us a peek into his emotions. It was a short two minutes speech but of such eloquence and feverishness that it will be remembered for years to come.
In stark contrast the PM's speech was barely audible. He appeared nervous and amidst loud outbursts from the Oppositions demanding his resignation he chose to submit it in writing to the Speaker.
My ardent wish is to hear an Indian Prime Minister and President to speak with the kind of flaming enthusiasm Omar Abdullah exhibited in the Lok Sabha.
So impressed was I in those two minutes that I am putting here the entire speech for you to read.
Sir,
I am a Muslim and I am an Indian and I don't see any distinction between the two.
I see no reason why I as a Muslim have to fear a deal between India and the United States of America. This is a deal between two countries... it is a deal between, we hope, two countries that in the future will be two equals.
Sir, the enemies of Indian Muslims are not the Americans... the enemies of the Indian Muslims are not deals like this... the enemies of Indian Muslims are the same enemies that all the poor people of India face- poverty, hunger, unemployment, lack of development and the absence of our voice. It is that we are against... the effort that is made to crush our voice!
Sir, I am not a member of the UPA. I do not aspire the membership of the UPA. I am extremely unhappy with the way in which my friends in the Left have taken on the self impose positon of being the certifiers of who is secular and who is not.
Sir, until a few years ago I was part of this NDA... I was a minister with them and these same Left people considered me as a political untouchable. They considered me as an outcaste because I was a part of the NDA. Today these same Left people are telling me that all secular parties must unite with the BJP to bring down this government!
Sir, I had made the mistake of standing with them once on the question of Gujarat... I did not resign when my conscience told me to. And my conscience has still not forgiven me. I will not make the same mistake again.
(On being interrupted during his speech over the Amarnath issue Omar Abdullah retaliated by saying in Hindi)
Aapne Amarnath ka aarop lagaaya... aap ek jagah dikhaaein jahan kisi Kashmiri ne yatra ke khilaf baat ki ho!! Aap ek jagah dikhaayein jahan kisi Kashmiri ne kaha ho ki humein yatri nahi chahiye!! Aap ek jagah dikhaaein jahan pe yatriyon ke upar humla hua ho!!
Woh hamari zameen ka muddha tha. Hum apni zameen ke liye ladhe. Aur hum marte dum tak apni zameen ke liye ladhenge!
Lekin hum aapki tarah firkaparast nahi hain... hum aapki tarah communal nahi hain. Hum masjid nahi girate... hum mandir bhi nahi girate. Ek sau saal se bhi zyaada Amarnath ki yatra chalti aa rahi hai. Aur jab tak Kashmir mein musalmaan hain, Srinagar aur Amarnath mein aapki yatra chalti rahegi!
Main yeh baat daave ke saath keh sakta hoon ki in logon ki tarah meri siyasat badalti nahi hai- aaj is taraf kal us taraf. Humne secular forces ke saath haath milaaya hai aur milaate rahenge.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conferece will vote to support the motion moved by the Prime Minister.
