By Sheikh Qayoom

Srinagar, Aug 27 (IANS) Known for airing his views in an unrestrained, often tongue-in-cheek style, and taking prompt steps to address grievances on Twitter, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's curious absence from the virtual world for almost a week was sorely felt by the twitterati.

Abdullah did not post even a single comment on the micro blogging site from Aug 19 to Aug 25.

He is followed on the website by over 46,000 people, many of them are journalists, civil servants, businessmen and local youngsters.

"This was perhaps his longest absence from the site since I started following him," said Wasim, 19, a student here.

Many were worried if this indicated an end Abdullah's tryst with Twitter.

Nisar Ahmad, a 45-year-old engineer here, said: "Omar Abdullah's tweets form an interesting sidelight to the political scene in the state. He has often generated a media debate through his tweets. If he stops tweeting, I am sure all his followers would miss them."

Bashir Manzar, a local newspaper editor, added: "When he tweeted, he made news and if he stops, he would again make a news of sorts."

The young chief minister had recently remarked that Twitter provides a small, but important interactive forum to him.

There have been instances when he has reacted promptly to public grievances and also made clarifications when asked by his followers.

For example, he ensured that a faulty electric transformer was immediately replaced when a frustrated student preparing for exams complained about no electricity in one of the city localities here.

Then another time, when a local journalist informed Abdullah on Twitter that a newly-elected village head had been slapped by an officer in north Kashmir, he ordered the officer's transfer and also an enquiry into the incident.

"If he stops using Twitter, ours would be the biggest loss. For most of the time during the last two years, we had been getting first-hand information from the top man in the state through his tweets," said Irfan Manzoor, 32, a local journalist here.

"Ordering enquiries, responding to people's complaints, trying to clarify public perceptions and misgivings... even about militancy related incidents. Omar Abdullah had become his own PR man and the government's most transparent spokesperson.

"If he chooses to be away, I fear we would have to switch back to traditional news hunting methods where the final word comes only after the news has become outdated," he added.

Followers and journalists notwithstanding, some senior officials here had been arguing that the chief minister must not tweet on any official issue.

"That habit can sometimes prove costly.... The chief minister can make a comment which the government might have to regret later," said a senior officer, on the condition of anonymity.

Introducing himself on Twitter, Abdullah writes: "I am currently CM (chief minister) of J&K (Jammu and Kashmir); tweets are my own but more often than not the line blurs. Retweets just mean something interested me."

His last tweet on Aug 19 before his weeklong absence was about a local FM radio shelving a breakfast programme with Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat group.

Murwaiz Umer had blamed the government's intelligence agencies for mounting pressure on the owners of the FM radio to shelve the programme.

Abdullah supported the continuation of the breakfast programme. "Not sure why Big FM took Mirwaiz Umer off the air so suddenly. But would like them to reconsider their decision. He was giving religious talks," he posted.

He broke his silence on Aug 26 by posting: "Just met Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh. Amazing memories of his first visit to Kashmir way back in 1935 shared with me."