Omar Abdullah

Omar Abdullah
عمر عبد اللہ

Abdullah in 2014
Member of J&K Legislative Assembly for
Beerwah
Assumed office
2014
8th Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
In office
5 January 2009 – 8 January 2015
Governor Narinder Nath Vohra
Deputy Tara Chand
Preceded by Governor's rule
Succeeded by Governor's rule
Member of J&K Legislative Assembly for
Ganderbal
In office
2009–2014
Minister of State for External Affairs
In office
23 July 2001 – 23 December 2002
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Preceded by Krishnam Raju
Succeeded by Digvijay Singh
Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) for
Srinagar
In office
10 March 1998 – 26 April 1999
Preceded by Ghulam Mohammad Mir Magami
In office
10 October 1999 – 06 February 2004
In office
17 May 2004 – 18 May 2009
Succeeded by Farooq Abdullah
Personal details
Born (1970-03-10) 10 March 1970
Rochford, Essex, United Kingdom
Political party Jammu and Kashmir National Conference
Spouse(s) Payal Nath (m. 1994; separated 2011)[1][2][3]
Children Zahir and Zamir (sons)
Parents Farooq Abdullah and Molly Abdullah
Residence 40, Gupkar Road, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Education Bachelor of Commerce
Religion Sunni Islam

Omar Abdullah (Urdu, عمر عبد اللہ ) ( pronunciation ; born 10 March 1970) is an Indian politician and the scion of one of the state's most prominent political families, the Abdullah family,[4][5][6] who became the 11th and the youngest Chief Minister of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, after forming a government in coalition with the Congress party, on 5 January 2009.[6][7]

He is currently Member of the Legislative Assembly from Beerwah constituency of Budgam district.[8]

He was a member of 14th Lok Sabha, representing Srinagar constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, India. He was a Union Minister of State for External affairs in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government, from 23 July 2001 to 23 December 2002. He resigned from NDA government in October 2002 to concentrate on party work.[9]

Omar joined politics in 1998, as a Lok Sabha member, a feat he repeated in subsequent three elections and also remained a Union minister; he took on the mantle of National Conference from his father in 2002, though he lost his own seat of Ganderbal during the 2002 state assembly elections, and so did his party, the political mandate; four years later, he contested once again from the same seat and won in the 2008 Kashmir Elections.[5]

Personal life

Omar Abdullah was born on 10 March 1970 in Rochford, Essex, United Kingdom. He is the son of Farooq Abdullah, a qualified doctor and grandson of Sheikh Abdullah, all three of whom have been Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir.[10] His mother Mollie, an Englishwoman and a nurse by profession, was not in favor of him joining politics.[11] He studied at the Burn Hall School located at Sonwar Bagh, Srinagar and then at Lawrence School, Sanawar.[12] He is a B.Com graduate of Sydenham College.[13]

He married Payal Nath,[14] but on September 2011, he confirmed that he and his wife are separated.[1][2][3] His younger sister, Sara Pilot, is married to Sachin Pilot, son of Rajesh Pilot.

He had a role in director Apoorva Lakhia’s film, Mission Istanbul (2008), based on international terrorism, playing himself.[15][16]

Political career

In 1998, at the age of 29, Omar Abdullah was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha, becoming the youngest minister. In 1998-99, he was a member of both the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism's Consultative Committee. In 1999, he was elected to 13th Lok Sabha (2nd term as a Member of Parliament).[17] On 13 October 1999, he took oath as Union Minister of State, Commerce and Industry. On 22 July 2001, he became the youngest Union Minister, when he was made Union Minister of State for External affairs. He resigned from the post on 23 December 2002, to concentrate on party work.[9]

On 23 June 2002, he became the President of the National Conference party, replacing his father, Farooq Abdullah.[18] He lost his Ganderbal seat in the Kashmir assembly elections held in September–October 2002.[19] Abdullah was re-elected as the National Conference party's president in 2006.

In March 2006, much to the disapproval of the centre, Omar Abdullah had a one-on-one meeting with Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharaf, in Islamabad. This was the first meeting of its kind between a mainstream politician from Jammu & Kashmir and the Pakistani government, thereby re-enforcing Omar's growing commitment to the solution of the Jammu & Kashmir cause. Omar received a rousing reception by thousands of Kashmiris upon his return.

On 22 July 2008, Omar gave a speech during the 2008 Lok Sabha vote of confidence,[20] which was praised and won him fans on the internet.[21][22]

After the 2008 Kashmir Elections, the National Conference won the maximum number of seats, and formed a coalition government with the Congress party, and Omar was sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 5 January 2009 at the General Zoravar Singh Auditorium in the University of Jammu, Jammu, raising hope amongst the people of Jammu and Kashmir who had been reeling under insurgency and violence since 1989.[23]

In 2009, Omar Abdullah was accused of covering up the rape and murder of two young women in Shopian, which was allegedly perpetrated by Indian Paramilitary Forces.[24] Many regarded this as Abdullah's first failure, as even moderates felt Abdullah had bowed to pressure from New Delhi.[25]

In 2014 Jammu & Kashmir Assembly election, Omar Abdullah lost in Sonawar assembly constituency in Srinagar. Abdullah lost the Sonawar seat by 4,783 votes. However, he won the Beerwah seat in Kashmir by a brisk margin of 940 votes,a lowest for any sitting CM.[26] On 24 December 2014, he resigned from the position of the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.[27]

References

  1. 1 2 Nairita (2011-09-15). "JK CM Omar Abdullah confirms Divorce but not Marriage". News Oneindia. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  2. 1 2 "Omar Abdullah divorcing wife after 17 years". Times of India. 2011-09-15. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  3. 1 2 "Omar Abdullah divorcing wife after 17 years". Indian Express. 2011-09-15. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  4. ↑ "the third-generation Abdullah family member following the footsteps of the family peers". The Hindu. 5 January 2009.
  5. 1 2 Omar Abdullah not just another political scion CNN-IBN, 5 Jan 2009.
  6. 1 2 Omar Abdullah takes oath as youngest J&K chief minister NDTV, Monday, 5 January 2009 2:01 PM.
  7. ↑ Omar Abdullah to be sworn in as J&K CM today Times of India, 5 January 2009.
  8. ↑ "MLA Beerwah, Omar Abdullah during his visit to Beerwah on Wednesday.". Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  9. 1 2 "Omar Abdullah resigns from Union Cabinet". rediff.com. 14 October 2002. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
  10. ↑ Omar Abdullah www.the-south-asian.com, November, 2001
  11. ↑ NEWSMAKER: Omar Abdullah Business Standard, New Delhi, 2 January 2009.
  12. ↑ "CEC, Omar Abdullah attend Sanawar school celebrations". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 5 October 2009.
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ Omar Abdullah sworn in as J&K CM Times of India, 5 Jan 2009.
  15. ↑ Apoorva gets lookalikes! Times of India, Times of India, 25 July 2008.
  16. ↑ "Director Apoorva Lakhia on Mission Istanbul". Rediff.com. 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  17. ↑ Portraits of India's Parliamentarians for the New Millennium, by R. C. Rajamani. Published by Gyan Pub. House, 2000. ISBN 81-212-0692-8. Page 218.
  18. ↑ Omar Abdullah–Profile Conflict Between India and Pakistan: An Encyclopedia, by Peter Lyon. Published by ABC-CLIO, 2008. ISBN 1-57607-712-8. Page 1.
  19. ↑ "Omar loses Ganderbal, NC prepares to sit in Opposition". ExpressIndia.com. 10 October 2002. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  20. ↑ Give us a voice, says NC’s Omar Abdullah, floors House with own Indian Express, 23 July 2008.
  21. ↑ Omar Abdullah wins many fans on YouTube News, 24 July 2008.
  22. ↑ Omar Abdullah to go Kalam way on internet Live Mint, 5 January 2009.
  23. ↑ Kashmir pins hopes on young, energetic Omar Abdullah The Hindu, Tuesday, 6 January 2009: 1515 Hrs.
  24. ↑ By Altaf Hussain (7 July 2009). "Another woman 'killed' in Kashmir". BBC News, Srinagar. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
  25. ↑ S Murari (22 June 2009). "Kashmir in turmoil over suspected rape and murder". Asiantribune.com. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  26. ↑ http://www.dailykashmirimages.com/news-omar-loses-sonwar-wins-from-beerwah-69894.aspx
  27. ↑ "Omar Abdullah resigns as J&K CM, says onus of govt formation on PDP, BJP". The Times of India. 24 December 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
Lok Sabha
Preceded by
Ghulam Mohammad Mir Magami		 Member of Parliament
for Srinagar
1998–2009 		Succeeded by
Farooq Abdullah
Political offices
Preceded by
Vacant
(Governor's Rule)		 Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
2009 – 2014 		Succeeded by
Vacant
(Governor's Rule)
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