SRINAGAR: For the second consecutive year, the Omar Abdullah government has been unable to restore the public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir on December 5, the birth anniversary of the ruling National Conference founder and former J&K Prime Minister and ex Chief Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah also known as Sher-e-Kashmir.
The failure of the NC government to reinstate a holiday on its founder’s birth anniversary highlights the limits of authority faced by the elected government in the Union Territory, where power lies with Lt Governor.
Sheikh Abdullah was born on December 5, 1905 in Soura area of Srinagar.
After the abrogation of Article 370 and the downgrading and bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories by centre on August 5, 2019, the public holiday on Sheikh’s birthday on December 5 was cancelled from 2020 by the Lt Governor administration.
Till 2019, Sheikh’s birth anniversary on December 5 was a gazetted holiday in J&K and J&K’s grand old party used to hold power shows on the day and spell out the party's agenda.
The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his father and NC president Farooq Abdullah and other party leaders would visit Sheikh’s grave today to offer their tributes.
The ruling NC would also be holding a function during which Abdullahs would spell out their agenda.
Since coming into power in October last year, the Omar government has not succeeded in securing the holiday’s reinstatement.
Questioning why Raj Bhavan is not restoring holiday on Sheikh’s anniversary, NC spokesman and MLA Tanvir Sadiq said, “It is very unfortunate”.
He said the dual power system is detrimental for J&K and “that is why we are demanding that what has been snatched from us should be restored to us."
Referring to the issue, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said under the existing division of power in J&K, the elected government does not have the power to declare a public holiday. “This power of declaring holidays lies with the centre. For this reason, we have been demanding that our statehood should be restored so that the elected government can take small or big decisions on its own."
Omar, however, stressed that the legacy of Sheikh Abdullah transcends official recognition.
“Whether a holiday is declared on Sheikh’s birth anniversary or not, he lives in the hearts of people,” he said, adding that a leader’s stature or contribution is not defined by the presence or absence of a public holiday.
The NC won the first Assembly elections in J&K post Article 370 held last year and enjoys a comfortable majority in the 90-member J&K Assembly.
According to NC leaders, unless the balance of power shifts toward elected government, even the basic decisions would remain subject to administrative veto.