OMAR ABDULLAH HAS always been a suave man. Which is why that photo went viral—the one showing the usually clean-shaven leader sporting a bushy, unkempt grey beard. Snowflakes clung to his woollen cap and blue jacket, and Omar looked far removed from the man who had once been chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
The former Union minister and National Conference vice president has been in detention since August 4, 2019, one day before the Centre abrogated Article 370.
The photo sent shockwaves across social media, and some politicians, including DMK president M.K. Stalin and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tweeted their concern for Omar.
A month before Omar was detained, he had told THE WEEK in an interview: “If there is no constitutional (Article 370) relationship— and clearly there is no emotional relationship—then what relationship exists? Only a military one.”
His father and party president Farooq Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti were among 50-plus Kashmiri politicians detained a day before the abrogation.
While Omar has been held in Hari Niwas, Farooq has been detained at his house on Gupkar Road in Srinagar. Mehbooba was lodged in a guest house at Chashme Shahi in Srinagar, but was later moved to a warmer location—a government bungalow on M.A. Road.
This story is from the February 09, 2020 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 09, 2020 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
There Is A Wind Blowing Against The BJP, And It Will Only Pick Up Speed
Interview - Akhilesh Yadav, Former Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh
Between hospital and home
Transitional care centres can add a lot to India's health care system
EFFORT VS EFFECT
The government's attempts to ensure quality drugs is evident, but how well new policies can be monitored on the ground remains to be seen
A way to let go of fear
Accepting the use of adult diapers is a journey with various stages-denial, concealment, rejection and reluctance
Mandeeps & a miracle
Two strangers, one deadly disease and an act of kindness. How Mandeep Mann saved Mandeep Singh, an acute leukaemia patient, by donating his stem cells
The A, B, C of cosmetic surgery
Between eight to 10 lakh cosmetic surgeries happen in India every year. Who is an ideal candidate, and what are the risks and results you can expect?
Vaccines and meningitis
In sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and encompassing the northern part of Nigeria, there exists a region known as the African Meningitis Belt (AMB).
Celebrating diversity and inclusivity
As Indians battle it out in our nation's 18th general election, it is again time for voters to reflect on the \"Idea of India\"-or rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us and between which the nation must choose at the ballot box.
Defendant: an Hermès handbag
When Hermès was hit with a class-action lawsuit last month for \"antitrust\" activities, it didn't see it coming. Most of the luxury world has all eyes on this suit, filed by two interested consumers who claim they were denied a purchase, and whether it would go to trial.
A legacy, bound
Amal Allana's biography of her father, Ebrahim Alkazi, is as much personal as it is historical
