Sunny Dua
Late Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had a unique style of wearing wrist watch with dial of his time piece facing inwards. Every time his political colleagues in Congress or People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that he floated later in 1999 didn’t keep their date, he just raised his wrist, gave a glance at his wristwatch and that left the latecomers perplexed only to resolve not to repeat such a blunder again.
He was a timekeeper, punctual, a smoker, an avid bridge player and a devoted reader of about half a dozen quality newspapers before setting on for his political journey every morning. Whenever his party leaders didn’t turn up early in the morning to accompany him on his journeys to remotest areas of the state, he would spend time reading newspapers and sipping tea in the lawns.
Floating People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for Mufti Sayeed was a ‘Do or Die’ like situation. He knew that he would be making his last foray into political arena of Jammu and Kashmir State yet he followed his heart and mind with conviction and went ahead only to become Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir State twice. Though his political outfit found ground in Kashmir and established itself strongly, poor response from Jammu always irked and disappointed him and Junior Mufti – Mehbooba Mufti as well.
Known for his convincing powers, Mufti Sayeed made New Delhi not only initiate a dialogue with all those who mattered the most in J&K State but also open cross-border routes for travel and trade. He proved himself right and after sending his team into the state legislative assembly as PDP members he made sure that the party is also represented in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and of course local bodies and Panchayats even if it’s going to be a humble beginning. This was a dream come true for Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Though only a small number of elected representatives did find their ways into constitutional arenas for the first time after he floated PDP, yet he was sure of seeing that number swell to get a clear majority one fine day. Unable to get good number of seats or support of able political leaders from Jammu region even after second election, Mufti Sayeed had to satisfy himself with 28 MLAs who were declared elected in an 87-member house on December 23, 2014 whose six-year term will be ending on January 19, 2015.
Unable to fulfil his dreams including seeing PDP flourish in all three regions of the state, Mufti Sayeed breathed his last on January 7 this year. For PDP, the cut-short life of this Bijbehara ‘Bridge Player’ who dreamed of ‘Bridging Gaps’, brought a bad omen on the very onset of 2016. The party lost its founder, it’s still stuck in infighting, it is not able to form government, the party chief is still indecisive and in between the workers and leaders are feeling alienated and very low.
This was for the first time a Kashmiri leader had talked of bridging gaps between Jammu and Kashmir, India and Pakistan and in between entire sub-continent and rest of the world that would lead of socio-economic stability of Jammu and Kashmir. Now that Mufti Sayeed is no more, the PDP is in quagmire. It however is entrusted with the job of carrying forward Mufti’s unfinished agendas that include development, good governance, strengthening of party, making J&K State a peace zone and above all bridging mentioned gaps.
For Junior Mufti (Mehbooba Mufti) it’s going to be an uphill task especially when she is the chief of PDP and has many challenges before her. Mufti Sayeed had always resisted National Conference (NC), deserted Congress thrice – One when he was minister in Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure, second when he floated PDP and thirdly when he pulled the support from alliance government in J&K. With Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), PDP has merely a ‘Relation of Numbers’ while there exists nothing common in between them. And, then Mehbooba Mufti has her family to look after besides an army of executives who were opposed to Mufti Sayeed’s austere policies.
In totality Junior Mufti has more enemies than friends in the state, politics and even government. In the given situation, the Junior Mufti needs to put up a brave front, open her doors for the commoners to meet her and allow them to express condolences both at Jammu as well as Srinagar, talk to party colleagues and elected representatives, give a clarion call to dissatisfied to rejoin PDP, set in motion the formation of government and finally come out of hibernation to carry forward Mufti Sayeed’s dreams.
Mufti Sayeed never advocated Governor or President’s rule in the state and it was he who first held elections of local bodies and Municipalities, helped Panchayats grow, never boycotted any election and was always for ‘Battle of Ideas’. Started from ‘Healing Touch’ Policy given to him by a junior journalist to ‘Peace Talks’ and Opening up of Cross-Borders travel and trade, Mufti Sayeed never wanted democratic processes to get scuttled or derailed. Reading this ‘Writing on Wall’, junior Mehbooba Mufti must face the world boldly and catch the bull by its horns.
Abbreviations like (NDA) depicting three names Naeem Akhtar, Haseeb Drabu and Altaf Bukhari are making rounds in PDP circles in most sarcastic manner. The old stalwarts want these three to be on back foot while they take the lead alongside Mehbooba Mufti. Right or wrong, this too has to be decided by the party chief dynamically but time has come when she doesn’t have to adopt an escapist policy. This is tough time when even the core group of PDP has left everything for Junior Mufti to decide but she must take on the responsibility and get into the political arena, though without her mentor father yet with astuteness that he had taught her.
A glance at the past: It was summer of 1997 when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had got Chowdhary Mohammad Aslam installed as Chief of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC). Prior to this development, persisting factionalism in the organisation had weakened Congress and created unrest amongst leaders as well as workers. No party head was ever allowed to function and this continuing instability had pushed Congress towards wall.
It was at this stage that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took Chowdhary Aslam along with him and toured entire length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir State only to rejuvenate Congress party. The job was virtually done but jubilations were short lived as Mufti Sayeed was himself not comfortable with central leadership calling the shots. Continuing diktats from New Delhi for even petty issues had divested local unit of Congress of its powers in the state.
Mufti Sayeed was of the opinion that certain decisions like choosing right candidates for local bodies, municipalities, panchayats, assembly or parliamentary constituencies should be vested with local units which was neither a practice in Congress nor a demand that could have found some takers in New Delhi. In view of this paralytic condition, the coming decision of Mufti Sayeed was ‘writing on the wall’ which he also made public after completing his extensive tour of border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
Sitting in the lawns of Rajouri Guest House with Congress leaders like Ravinder Sharma, Balwan Singh, Ranbir Singh, Balbir Singh, Shanti Devi, Ved Mahajan and a couple of local leaders, Mufti Sayeed disclosed his decision to float a regional outfit. The timing of floating this party looked quite apt to Mufti Sayeed as people were looking for an alternative to the existing regional organisations and the national political outfit was not delivering as well. It was like hitting the nail in the head.
The name of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was not known to many but the decision itself didn’t go well down the throat of many Congressmen who were going to be natural defectors to become founder members of this mega structure that Mufti Sayeed had decided to build. The foundation was laid but good number of expectants didn’t turn up at the eleventh hour. Undeterred, Mufti Sayeed went ahead and floated PDP in 1999.
The going ahead was tough but Mufti Sayeed too had not floated PDP to give up. He get going with whatever ammunition (Read loyalists) he had in his arsenal. This was the turning point from where journey of his political acumen started wherein he had the challenge to prove that he was right. Prior to this Mufti Sayeed had joined and left political outfits but floating his own party and then giving life to it was a real challenge especially when some of his own loyalists had betrayed him right at the onset.
Mufti Sayeed made sure that second round of entire state, this time minus Congressmen, was necessary. Leaving Congress guessing about the fate of PDP, Mufti Sayeed’s PDP loyalists distributed pamphlets in remotest of the areas, addressed smallest of gatherings, personally called everyone who mattered in the state politics, took press seriously, accepted healthy criticism, introduced his daughter Mehbooba Mufti and finally strengthened the resolve of those who had pledged to be by his side. When militancy was at its peak, he toured the remotest areas which had hardly seen any political activity in past several years only to win over masses and reap the dividends.
Though Mufti Sayeed was little apprehensive of people accepting PDP, yet he didn’t give up. Right from asking people to be part of ‘Change’ which he had pledged to telling Centre that nothing less than talks were the only way out of persisting impasse in J&K State, Mufti Sayeed was able to convince Centre to shun the policy of an eye for an eye. Knowingly that over a decade-old militancy has exhausted people and they too want some change, Mufti was able to convince Delhi to hold talks.
When Jagdish Jaggi a Mufti Loyalist expired, Mufti Sayeed in order to boost morale of workers and leaders made sure that he travels with the body wrapped in PDP flag to his home in Kachi Chawni. Mufti recognised his workers. Once on a tour of Rajouri he halted his cavalcade only to ask a passerby (Who actually was a disgruntled Congress Block President) to get into the car and after leaving grudges get into the fray. He climbed mountains to meet his workers in Darhal and had his meals only after all security men, workers and pressmen accompanying him had their share.
When he floated PDP he did his best to make sure that it gets recognition and even distributed pamphlets in remotest of areas to acclimatise people to the change. He climbed several stairs in Lasana village to meet Choudhary Mohammad Aslam during his time in Congress only to make sure that leaders and workers didn’t get ignored. His friendship with comrade K D Sethi was to the extent that he used to travel in trains for several times with him only to have sufficient time in privy to discuss political issues of Jammu and Kashmir State.
(The author is a Freelance Writer)
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