Kulvir Gupta
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was installed as Chief Minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir on 25 Feb 1975, following the “Indira – Sheikh Accord of 1974” after a gap of twenty-two years, of which he had spent eleven years in prison while the remaining eleven years in the political wilderness, some of which he spent sermonising from the pulpit of Hazaratbal Shrine on Fridays. I had posted a letter to Sheikh Sahib from Kalimpong (WB) where I was on a holiday. It was a handwritten letter on a single-line brown paper taken out from a register. I wonder if it is still there in the archives of CM’s office. In that letter, I had written, “Sheikh Sahib, you have been bestowed upon the privilege of being the first servant of the people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. I am sure, with your wisdom and experience you will be able to guide the people for a better and prosperous future.”
Now on the election of Omar Abdullah as the new Chief Minister of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir when I look back at the seven years of the chief minister-ship of Sheikh Abdullah from 1975 – 1982, I do not find anything worth mentioning barring installation of Dr. Farooq Abdullah as his heir and the president of National Conference which was marked by a mammoth procession taken out in Srinagar. In the process, he had dumped his closest friend and aide Mirza Afzal Beg and the Plebiscite Front which was espoused by him during his political wilderness. A new phrase “Autonomy” replaced the Plebiscite Front which has been used by Dr. Farooq Abdullah along with his advocacy for talks with Pakistan which has been the song he has been singing for a long. Probably he is unaware of the fate of “Nehru- Liakat Ali Pact,” “Shastri-Ayub Pact,” “Indira-Bhutto Pact of Shimla,” “Atal Bihari’s Bus Journey to Lahore” and Musharaf’s mid-night flight from Agra. Another incident worth mentioning is when after a communal flare-up in Srinagar he lashed out at the press and media for highlighting only the arson and looting of Hindu properties and desecration of a temple on the banks of Jhelum and not reporting how a Muslim youth had jumped in the Jhelum river to retrieve an idol which was restored to the priest of the temple.
Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah was still smarting from the pangs of years spent in prison and political exile. The other things which prevented him from doing something to be remembered for were, the state of emergency declared by Indira Gandhi during the first two years of his tenure as CM, Morarji’s scanners during the next two years and health issues, he faced during the last two years of his tenure. However, he prepared perfect soil for the growth of militancy and terrorism in the valley which flourished during Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s five years chief minister-ship 1982-84 and 1986-89 when most of the terrorist and militant outfits mushroomed which culminated in the exodus of KPs and Non-Muslims from the valley on Jan 19 1990, followed by massacre of thousands of innocent civilians and security personnel during the next thirty years and is continuing even now. He allowed various terrorist/militant groups to grow in the valley because they provided the sap for his political survival. Rajiv Gandhi as PM had blind faith in Farooq Abdullah and remained oblivious of the developments in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. V. P. Singh, the next Prime Minister had hardly arrived when the exodus of KPs happened. He had not come out of the spell of Rajiv Gandhi and obliged him by withdrawing Jagmohan from the Governorship of the state on his recommendations when the services of Jagmohan ji were needed the most.
Bakshi Gulam Mohammed became the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after the arrest of Sheikh Mohd Abdullah in Aug 1953. He has left an indelible mark on the life and the future of the people of our state during his regime of ten years. His contributions include:
* Making education free from Primary to Post-Graduation throughout the state.
* Reduction of the cost of essential items of food on the PDS Ration Shops by fifty per cent, cost of Rice and Wheat flour was reduced from eight Aanas to four Annas per/Seer/Kg while the price of Sugar was reduced from 15 Annas to eight Annas peer/seer/Kg. (Metric Systemic had not been adopted till then)
* Bus fares across the board were reduced by fifty per cent on all the routes. One could travel from Jammu to Srinagar or vice versa with just eleven rupees in “B” Class buses.
* Modern residential colonies like Gandhi Nagar in Jammu and Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar were constructed during his reign.
* Refugees from POJK, Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimber and Muzaffarabad were rehabilitated in record time of less than four years i.e. 1954 to1958 in the colonies like Bakshi Nagar, Rehari Colony, Sarwal Colony and Resham Ghar Colony in Jammu and Adarsh Nagar Colony in Udhampur. Sheikh Mohd Abdullah had done sweet nothing for us (I am also one of the refugees from Mirpur) we the refugees from POJK had launched an agitation in Mar 1954 under the banner of a Joint Sharnarthi Action Committee with representatives from all of the regions. (I was one of the Satayagrahies at the age of twelve along with two other boys of the same age in the company of three senior Satyagrahies). Bakshi Sahib received our delegation after a few days and assured them that he would do something about our demands which appeared to be genuine however he explained to them that he had no money in the state’s exchequer for which he would have to negotiate with the centre for the funds but he can provide the land. Work on the project started during the second half of 1954 and we moved into our dwellings in April 1958.
* A Medical College and an Engineering College were set up in Srinagar while a Polytechnique College was set up in Jammu. Colleges and Schools were upgraded across the whole of the state.
* Construction of roads and bridges was taken up at a large scale. Widening of the Jain Bazaar was a big challenge as there was big resistance from the residents and shopkeepers. But he was at his best in convincing the people and the project started with the active co-operation of the people.
* Construction of Circular Road, New Secretariat Building and Assembly Hall in Jammu were taken up and completed during Bakshi Gulam Mohammed’s time as Prime Minister.
* To promote tourism tourist huts were constructed at Pahalgam, Chashma Shahi, Patnitop and Sanasar.
* I may not be able to provide details of many projects, bridges and linking roads constructed in the valley but there were very many I am sure.
I am happy for Omar Abdullah for having been elected as CM of the UT of J&K under the auspicious of the Election Commission of India, and wish him success in his endeavours to bring out the UT from the curse of militancy and restore peace and glory to the people they deserve. I have the following words for him:
a. Take a leaf from Bakshi Gulam Mohammed’s book and invest your talent and energy to take the UT of J&K on the path of progress and prosperity.
b. Dedicate yourself to serve the people across the board without discriminating against them based on religion, region and caste. Maharaja Hari Singh ji had said, “A Raja has no religion of his own, his creed is Raj- Dharma.” I am sure you would like to emulate him. “I have returned.”: Your first comments after the election smack of arrogance and do not go well with your status.
c. After viewing what happened in the Legislative Assembly of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir on 06-08 Nov 2024 I see unfolding of the nightmare which we have gone through during the last forty years. You are following in the footsteps of your father and grandfather and pushing the UT to the brink. I am informing you that confrontation with the central government will not help.
It is a well-known fact that many cadres of your party sympathise with the antinational forces some even provide them with food shelter and logistic support. One of the former speakers of J&K Assembly from your party is known to have raised the slogan “Pakistan Zindabad” inside the Assembly Hall. You may educate your cadres to expose such elements and prevent local youth from going astray instead they ought to be encouraged to contribute to the nation-building process.
One of your top priorities should be the graceful and secure return of KPs to their homes in the valley. This is the key to restoring Kashmir’s glory.
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