Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 31: Truth is always bitter and not easy to digest. The statement of National Conference (NC), general secretary, Ali Muhammad Sagar accusing Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister, Aditya Yogi Nath of being ignorant of history of Jammu & Kashmir has exposed the hollowness of NC and its leadership. NC has distorted the history of the State to build a false narrative portraying the party as secular and representative of the entire State of J&K, according to a press release issued by the party here, today.
While exposing the dual face of NC, Brig Anil Gupta, State spokesperson of the party, said that NC is a party which believes in “exclusivity” rather than “inclusivity” and is the harbinger of communal politics in the State. NC is befooling itself by self-assumed representation of the people of entire State, he added.
He said the fact is that NC represents the aspirations of Kashmiri speaking Sunni Muslims and its entire politics revolves around safeguarding their interests at the cost of the aspirations of rest of the majority population of the State represented by non-Kashmiri speaking Muslims like Gujjars, Paharis, Shinas, Shias and Punjabis, and the people of Jammu & Ladakh. “When Mirza Afzal Beg was removed by the party from Maharaja’s first popular Cabinet, the Maharaja appointed a non-Kashmiri speaking Muslim in his place as a Minister. Sheikh was so furious that he expelled the newly appointed Minister from NC. This exposes the “inclusive” and “secular” credentials of the party,” stated Brig. Gupta.
Yogi has correctly quoted history. It is a known fact that Kashmir was an ancient Hindu kingdom. It was the arrival of Muslim kings in Valley in the 14th century that disturbed the calm in Kashmir represented by forcible conversions, destruction of Hindu temples and first ever exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. It was followed by equally cruel Mughal rule, he added.
He said it was the Sikh rule that restored certain amount of sanity followed by the golden rule of Dogra dynasty led by Maharaja Gulab Singh. However, after independence NC distorted the history books in the State to highlight the Muslim era and downgrade the Dogra rule.
Gupta said the seeds of communalism were sown in Kashmir by Sheikh Abdullah and his colleagues in 1931 followed by the “Quit Kashmir” movement. Forcible expulsion of Maharaja, when he was the legal head of the State, by Sheikh Abdullah and assuming all powers thus becoming a self-appointed ruler of J&K was the hall mark of communal mind set of the Sheikh and his party.
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