India faces threat from within, not outside, says Farooq Abdullah

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said that India does not face a threat from the outside but from within. He emphasised the importance of unity and countering divisive narratives to secure the nation’s future.

“The country demands sacrifice even today to save itself. India does not face a threat from outside but from within. People inside the country can destroy it, not those from outside. To make the nation strong, we must make ourselves, our brothers, and our sisters strong”, Dr Abdullah said while speaking at a function at the National Conference headquarters here.

Dr Abdullah criticised divisive propaganda, particularly the narrative that Hindus are under threat. “There are 80 per cent Hindus in this country, so where is the threat? This narrative is meant to create fear among people. It is everyone’s duty to break this falsehood,” he said.

Reflecting on historical narratives, he recalled misinformation during his tenure as chief minister in 1996 regarding the settlement of people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“It was falsely propagated that they would come and take over your lands. I repeatedly clarified that no one could settle here without the Union Home Ministry’s approval, yet no one listened,” he added.

Commenting on the abrogation of Article 370, Dr Abdullah argued that the special provision was not solely for Kashmiris but was introduced by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1927 to protect Dogras from economic domination by wealthy Punjabis.

“You celebrated the abrogation, but now even domestic jobs are going to outsiders. Servants are being brought in from outside. Think about what you have gained,” he remarked.