India, Nov. 3 -- The Omar Abdullah ministry took oath in October last year in an atmosphere of hope, and on the promise that statehood for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) would be restored. That has not happened in these many months. In an interview with this newspaper, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah elaborated how the absence of statehood and executive powers - these remain with the lieutenant governor (LG) - has reduced the elected government to a toothless entity. His concerns are valid.

Two issues need immediate redress.

One, the powers between the elected government and the LG's office need to be clearly defined and separated, at least until there is closure on the matter of statehood. Considering that J&K is a border state and a constant ta...