Shiban Khaibri
Consistency in politics can face such a dreary trend that a new term, a new definition of politics is needed to describe the connotations of what Dr. Farooq Abdullah said recently in Srinagar in a speech at a commemoration event of the 111th birth anniversary of Late Sheikh Abdullah. The function, was attended by a few “workers” of the National Conference who were instructed by the three times Chief Minister of the state, a senior Union Cabinet Minister and the President of the National Conference, Dr. Farooq Abdullah to work in unison, with the separatists known as Hurriyat Conference to achieve the goal of “Aazadi” for the “nation” , to “safeguard this land for our children and their children”. Besides many things which the octogenarian Kashmiri leader said, the piece of history was that his illustrious father had no role to play in the state’s accession with India. Since these lines fall short to comment upon , even briefly , each and every point he dwelt with , this writer shall confine touching two or three points only, the fact, however, remains that the entire rhetoric warrants outright rebuttal and since remaining out of power is an Achilles heel for Politicians of all hues, it is something more in degree with the “mainstream politicians” of the state .
That the tallest leader of the state, Sheikh Abdullah having “played no part” in the accession of the state, as per Dr. Farooq, let it unequivocally be stated that it is just a manufactured argument and is as baseless as is his elusive “path to achieve Aazadi ” which in order to pamper the anti India secessionist and pro Pakistani Hurriyat , he is in desperate search to find his takers in that conglomeration of pro Pakistani groups getting sustenance on religious grounds only . It is this religious ground which Farooq sahib too has desperately tried to invoke to attempt ensuring its acceptability, which the Hurriyat won’t take beyond their mentors sitting on the other side, to extensively use as a plank at different fora that “even staunch Indians like Farooq and Omar Abdullah” have fallen in line , though much belatedly and that their stand stood “vindicated”.
It may be known to very few as to what actually happened in and around the room where on Oct 26, 1947 Mehar Chand Mahajan as a special emissary of Maharaja Hari Singh , the ruler of the state, met Pt. Nehru requesting for immediate help to save the people from the Qabayali marauders. The request of the Maharaja could not be accepted by India on legal grounds unless the state became the part of the Union and as Prime Minister of India, he wanted to ascertain the wishes of the people of the state . In that context, the popular leader and the voice of the masses Sheikh Abdullah was in total acquiesce, in full agreement with and an irrevocable choice of the people to bind the fate of the state with the Union of India. Mahajan, Prime Minister of the princely state (Oct 1947 -March 1948) was so much upset and ill at ease about how to salvage the position from looming doom at the hands of the uncivilized savage Qabayalis , that he entered into an argument with Nehru saying a Prime Minister was speaking to the other Prime Minister and that he should do it fast, the accession papers duly signed by the Maharaja before Pt. Nehru. This enraged Nehru and asked Mahajan to leave the room. Sheikh Abdullah was in an adjoining room listening to the whole conversation between Mahajan and Nehru . When Mahajan was about to leave, a slip was handed over to Nehru reading which Nehru was overjoyed, “This is what Sheikh Abdullah has been saying”. The slip had come from Sheikh Abdullah who had strongly told Nehru to accept the accession papers immediately. Like this, Pt. Nehru matched the decision of the Maharaja, the rightful ruler of the state and a natural authority to sign the instrument of accession, with the will ,the choice and with the decision of the people through Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who had no political opponent, on the contrary to match or confront.
It is a historical and a political hara-kiri to pillory Nehru alone for all the errors in handling Kashmir “issue”, on the contrary the decision of the Maharaja in terms of acceding to Indian union may be looked in terms of what role did the voice, choice and the will of the masses, personified in their undisputed leader Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, play in the whole process. In the light of this undisputed historical background , it becomes crystal clear that accession of Jammu and Kashmir with the dominion of India is legally, morally, ethically and historically right and complete done by the Maharaja and backed by the people of the state through their leader Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Farooq Abdullah should not tamper with history as history leaves none to project except as it appeared and happened in the course of time. How come the great Sheikh Abdullah, as per Dr. Farooq , did play no role in the accession with India ? Let him explain. Conversely, why did his father not object to at the same time (of accession) as he commandeered huge respect , mandate and following of the people as also the goodwill of and fast friendship with the then Prime Minister, Nehru . Why did he not offer cooperation and logistics to the “liberators” known as Qabaylis sent by Islamic state of Pakistan in 1947 who did spread death and destruction in order to handover Kashmir on a platter to Pakistan, going by the vast braggadocio of Farooq Sahib in respect of making Hurriyat believe that accession was a “blunder” and Sheikh Sahib was “innocent”, hence “We are with you , please do not treat us as your enemies”.
The agenda of Hurriyat led by the Pakistani hawk Syed Geelani is known to one and all and that is to see Kashmir sliced out of India , “sliced” is used as India and Kashmir have been historically one entity. The slogan of Aazadi is nothing but freedom from India, only to go to Pakistan and now National Conference has its political role well defined, protracted and extended in a new direction but never expected at least by people, especially non Muslims who in thousands are National Conference followers. It may be recalled that the clarion and passionate unity call given by Dr. Farooq to Hurriyat and the National Conference emanates from his invoking tenets of Islamic Religion.
His illustrious son Omar Abdullah criticized media for misinter preting his statement to have castigated Pakistan for the ongoing violence and unrest in the Valley. He instead gave clean and clear chit to Pakistan by absolving the rogue country of fomenting any trouble in the valley. He held Narendra Modi responsible for that and wondered that the Government at Delhi found it easy to blame Pakistan, thus parroting the rhetoric of Pakistan. He charged CM Mehbooba Mufti for giving Delhi an opportunity to” ridicule” Kashmiris. While death of any citizen in any type of violence is an irreparable loss and should not be politicized, it is a brazen political ploy to bake political bread mainly to regain the lost ground by exploiting the unfortunate deaths in violence. How can Omar Abdullah forget April 2010 to October 2010 and perhaps justify as many as 120 unfortunate deaths during NC- Congress coalition Government of which he was the Chief Minister? Who was responsible for those deaths, the stone pelting youngsters, the Central Government, the State Government or covert Pakistani agencies, may please be clarified. The father – son duo speaking the same language choosing the same time around is conspicuous by its quantum of sincerity and seriousness and cannot be taken lightly.
After this elusive and illusory “Aazadi” and “Unity” the term “Nation” used by Farooq Sahib for Kashmiris is loaded with open recognition of a nation within a nation. How can a part of the whole also be whole unless either it is to part ways and break away from the parent nation, again needs clarification, whether it lands at the confines of sedition? A word about the “Rights”. Can Farooq sahib be sincere and swear that rights enjoyed by the people in this state are any different from citizens of other states of this great republic? In Gulam Kashmir, JKLF was not allowed to contest elections. No one, no political party under Gulam Kashmir (PoK) constitution is allowed to carry on with any activity prejudicial or detrimental to the interests of Pakistan and that is enough proof of the vast liberty and rights of the people here.
Dr. Farooq advised people “not to run away” and like a fist remain united and keep the struggle on till the goal was achieved while he himself left Kashmir in 1990 when Kashmiri Pandits were hounded out of Kashmir and selectively killed. His new politics has far reaching consequences and at the outset, it is to be seen how people of Jammu and Ladakh, particularly the non Muslim followers and leaders of National Conference, react to it.
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