“I am a Muslim and I am an Indian, and I see no distinction between the two. I don't know why I should fear the nuclear deal. It is a deal between two countries which, I hope, will become two equals in the future. The enemies of Indian Muslims are not America or deals like these. The enemies are the same as the enemies of all those who are poor—poverty, hunger, lack of development and the absence of a voice….”
- Omar Abdullah, July 22nd, 2008, Lok Sabha –
This quote which made Omar Abdullah a household name, captured many youths of this country towards in a big way, including me. The statement was made in Lok Sabha during the trust motion to gauge the support for the Indo-US nuclear deal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV4xjF1iDPw&feature=related
After a lot of rabble rousing and the usual commotion that usually ensues in Parliament, It was Omar Abdullah’s turn to speak during the question hour. What followed was one of the most passionate speeches I have ever heard. The speech later became an internet sensation, catapulting Abdullah to a politician to watch out for.
Omar Abdullah started his life learning Commerce as a student in Mumbai’s Sydenham College, rising from there to becoming the Chief Minister of India’s most volatile state in the country.
Abdullah is the grandson of Sheikh Abdullah, founder of Kashmir’s first political party, the Muslim Conference, in 1942. This party was later renamed as the National Conference. Sheikh Abdullah was the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir till the early 1950s, after which he stayed the Chief Minister of J&K for another two terms, till his death in 1982. Farooq Abdullah became the Chief Minister of J&K after that for tree terms.
Omar entered active politics in 1998. He was elected as a Lok Sabha member and also became the youngest Union Minister of India as the Minister of State for External Affairs. He later left this post in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA government, preferring to concentrate on his Party issues in Kashmir. In 2008, the National Conference managed to win the maximum number of seats in the state assembly elections and formed the government with the Congress as the ally. Omar Abdullah was then nominated as the new Chief Minister.
However, recently due to the on-going violence in the state, Omar had to face a lot of flak from the opposition and the people in his state as well. He was even accused of being part of a sex trade scandal as well as accused of trying to cover up the rape and murder of two girls in Shophian. However, he managed to prove that he was innocent in all cases. Omar was also discredited for letting army personnel loose on a group of unarmed protestors. He has also been criticized for allowing the violence in the valley to spiral out of control.
However, on a broader scale, Omar has managed to work for the people earnestly, the trait which has catapulted him today in becoming a 'Youth Icon' in the minds of millions of youngsters in India and around the World.
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