Grow up

Omar Abdullah needs to square his shoulders and face situations....

When the Srinagar sex scandal surfaced in 2006,it devastated many powerful reputations. Politicians,bureaucrats and many in the security establishment were allegedly snared in the prostitution ring,and the blast of moral indignation that followed strengthened the PDPs political base. Now,that explosive affair threatens to tear Jammu and Kashmir politics along the seams again. After PDP leader Muzaffar Beig waved around a document claiming that Chief Minister Omar Abdullahs name figured in the CBI chargesheet,the issue brought the house down,with the NC and PDP creating pandemonium for days. Abdullah took it hard after submitting his resignation to the governor,he stormed out of the assembly in a huff. Despite both the home minister and the CBI confirming that he was in the clear,Abdullah

insisted that this blot on his reputation was intolerable.

It is in the best interests of not just Abdullah but also the office he holds to move on from this messy confrontational politics. The NC comeback in Kashmir was a clear call for responsible governance and greater development. This

remarkable and rousing mandate has been soured in recent months,and Abdullahs grip on the state has been less than solid. In the Shopian aftermath,he has been on the political backfoot,stuck between his uncooperative Congress allies and his relentless PDP rivals. While Abdullah may ruefully muse that being in opposition is a lot more rewarding in J&K,he owes it to his state to steer it out of this instability more engagingly.

This is why the theatrics of the conditional resignation can be so damaging. While he may claim his resignation to stem from the desire to remain utterly credible to Kashmiris,that credibility can only come with a demonstration of steadfastness in tackling crises squarely. (Abdullah could look across the world for a cautionary tale Sarah Palin,leader of a cold northern state was once hailed as a galvanic force in US politics,and has flopped down in the face of mounting trouble,cloaking her incapacity to govern with petulance and indignation.) Giving in to these low theatrics isnt going to advance anybodys cause in J&K.

Disquiet in film board: ‘Censorship raj’, no meeting in 6 years, no reports, term lapsed

2 hr ago

A controversial decision-making process has set off divisions within the CBFC, and cast a long regulatory shadow on the Indian film industry as it aspires to be a global player . The Indian Express spoke to several top filmmakers and board members to find that a not-so-silent storm is brewing within the fraternity — and inside the CBFC, too — over what many call a “one-man show”.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS