Speeches, salt tea and Omar

GUREZ, Baramullah: As the chopper flew just 3 km away from the Line of Control, the National Conference’s (NC) chief ministerial candidate Omar Abdullah, sitting next to the pilot, became a little nervous.
The Indian military helipad at Kazabwan, where the chopper landed, is within the target range of shelling from Pakistan’s military camp situated at Taobat.After the chopper landed, Omar got into a Tata Sumo taxi and drove to Bagtore village, 5 km away, where a crowd of 1,500 was waiting for him.
He took a seat on a raised platform and was offered maki-ki-roti, fried chicken, mutton, and salt tea.
As Omar ate, the local leaders of the NC made their speeches, which were interspersed with Urdu and Kashmiri couplets.
Bagtore is the third stop in Omar’s electioneering along the border villages of Gurez assembly constituency in Baramullah. Four candidates are in the fray, including the NC’s Nasir Ahmed.
The NC candidate talked about the requirements of the area: More bunkers, schools, employment, copter services during winter. People here live in poverty for eight months in a year, he said.
Their crops are destroyed, their cattle die in Pak shelling. From December till May, the whole area comes under snow. Omar started the address by raising the slogan ‘‘Bhol Thakbeer, Allahu Akbar’’.
He promised one government job for each family, helicopter services, etc.
When he started the drive back to the helipad, a group of women holding children danced before the Sumo. Some touched him, some kissed him. The police struggled for 20 minutes to clear the way.
Omar addressed one more election meeting before calling it a day.