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| | Lion Departs | | | The Lion of Kashmir roars no more. The pale hands of death have removed from amidst us the tallest of Kashmir leaders, the political giant who dominated the State’s political scene for over five decades. Kashmir is bereft of its supreme leader, the most charismatic personality of the century, who will go down in history as the dauntless champion of people’s freedom and saviour of their dignity after centuries of subjugation. For centuries Kashmir has never produced a man of his status and eminence and perhaps for years to come there will be on one to equal him.
No Kashmiri had risen to a height achieved by Shere-i-Kashmir in public esteem and popularity since the Maughals Pathans, Sikhs and Dogras. The credit for bringing about awakening among Kashmiris and electrifying the entire populace with an unprecedented vigour and popular upsurge largely goes to the charismatic personality of the deceased leader. His chequered political life was beset with many ups and downs but even at the lowest ebb of his career he remained the tallest of his contemporaries on account of his rapport with the people on whom he exercised a magic spell.
The deceased leader’s life was so intrinsically involved with people of Kashmir that it is difficult to think of the one without the other. The qualities of his leadership invariably showed themselves whenever the State had arrived at political cross-roads and he displayed a remarkable capacity to sway the people alongwith him on to the course he charted for them. It was a measure of his profound political sagacity that in 1938 he gathered a team of enlightened publicmen from all over the State to convert the Muslim Conference into the National Conference which played a historic role in bringing about a basic change in the political psychosis of masses. Thus began a glorious period of people’s struggle in the State encompassing all the cultural and linguistic regions irrespective of caste, creed and religion. The leadership of the National Conference kept aloft the ideal of secularism in its long drawn struggle against autocracy and feudal system led by him. His finest hour came in 1947 when he refused to yield to the coercive methods of Pakistan and inspired the people to fight back Pakistanis onslaught. He refused to accept what had come to be known as the two nation theory and remained stuck to his secular professions which ultimately became the basis of State’s accession with Indian Union. It was under his stewardship as the head of the first ever popular government in Jammu and Kashmir that autocracy was abolished, land reforms in favour of the tillers were implemented, poorer sections were freed from age old debts and several other progressive measures were launched.
What happened in 1953, however, reminds us of one of the saddest episodes in post-independence history of this country. The Sheikh was basically a Kashmiri patriot and vehemently fought for the identity and viable entity of his people. It is unfortunate that when his views on the desirable political dispensation in the State clashed with those of the Central Government an unsavoury situation arose that resulted in confrontation and crisis. Whatever the genesis of the 1953 crisis, incarceration of the Sheikh generated tremendous popular sympathy in this State and outside. His potential as a popular Kashmiri leader was further substantiated when after 22 years of his “political estrangement”, the Union government again condescended to install him to power. It is doubtful if any other leader with a lesser tenacity, stamina and popular support would have survived as political entity after remaining detached from the corridors of power for such a long time. Although he chose to operate in this State, his services for the cause of the entire country and the ideals for which India stands, would also make a niche for him in the national polity. A veteran freedom fighter placed in high esteem in the country also has passed away. The Sheikh would be missed by his friends and foes alike as the exit of a towering figure like him from the scene is sure to create a vacuum which will not be filled for long time to come. His departure will be severely felt in this State as well as in the rest of the country.
We, who were inspired by him to join the freedom struggle while in our teens in early forties, fought for his freedom during the incarceration both in forties and during post 1953 period, contributed our mite for his return to power in 1975 and violently disagreed with him since 1977 becoming his strongest critics, feel a personal loss in his death. On this sad occasion we dip our banner in honour of Shere-i-Kashmir and salute the patriarch who despite some of his failings has no parallel in the annals of India’s recent history.
*(From KT Archives: Front page signed editorial in September 9, 1982 issue on Sheikh Abdullah’s death) |
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