Former chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday sounded alarm bells about the situation in the Valley saying one day “India may lose Kashmir” and blamed separatists and “elements in Delhi” for the present situation. He also accused “half of Congress leaders” of being communal and said he saw no hope if the present situation continues.

His remarks came at a function here to release a book titled Tragic Hero of Kashmir-Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, authored by veteran journalist Ajit Bhattacharjea. The book was released by Vice-President Hamid Ansari.

“One day India may lose Kashmir. The separatists active in the Valley cannot be blamed alone but elements in Delhi are equally responsible for this. They are pushing people to the wall,” Abdullah said at a function that was attended by former J&K CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah and Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Mushirul Hasan, among others.

Farooq Abdullah blamed the Government of India for the present situation in the state and expressed concern over the growth of both Hindu and Muslim fundamentalism. He said the late Sheikh Abdullah was “misunderstood” outside Kashmir and was a “victim of Delhi politics”.

He alleged there was politics against the people of Kashmir during the rule of erstwhile Maharaja Hari Singh and the same tendency persists even today. “Unless we realise the situation and take corrective steps things may go out of hands,” he said.

While releasing the book, Ansari said two factors mentioned in the book were critical to the understanding of the approaches of different players in J&K. “The first relates to the pre-August 1947 period in which the focus of the struggle of people of the Valley was not against the British but against the Maharaja’s rule. The second is the impact on the Jammu region of land reforms implemented by the National Conference Government.”

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