On December 12, 2023, Dr Farooq Abdullah accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of turning the erstwhile State into “hell” by downgrading it to a Union Territory. Not very long ago, the same Farooq Abdullah had said, “let Kashmir go to hell,” while talking to a news reporter. Why the State was made a UT is a separate subject, which would need a separate article, but was this the reason for the Valley becoming a hell, implying that before August 5, 2019, everything in J&K was perfect, like the heaven the subject of discussion in the instant article. When did the Heaven on Earth turn into a hell? For this, one needs to dwell in the past, rekindle the memory of those who witnessed those events and educate those unaware of the happenings.
Nehru did not allow the Hindu and Sikh refugees from Muzaffarabad and neighbouring areas (close to Kashmir) to settle in Kashmir; they were forced to move to Jammu.
“When Rome was burning, Nero was fiddling”. Like when Kashmir burned, Farooq bike-rided and golfed and was popularly called the Disco CM. Having set Kashmir on fire, he fled to London leaving J&K rudderless for crucial 48 hours. Yet, Dr Farooq says, “I have not set Kashmir on fire.” The history of Kashmir bears testimony to the fact who set Kashmir on fire. Two major political dynasties and their political parties stand out as the architects of separatism, terrorism, radicalisation, discrimination and nepotism in the troubled history of J&K.
Nehru’s Cascading Blunders
It was the bonhomie between Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah that sowed the seeds of regional and religious discrimination and separatism. When Pandit Prem Nath Dogra challenged the manipulations and anti-national activities of Sheikh Abdullah l, ed Praja Parishad, Nehru, instead of asking Sheikh to mend his ways, called the Dogras of Jammu as common. This encouraged and emboldened the Sheikh, who unleashed the politics of exclusivity and regional discrimination against the people of Jammu and Ladakh, purportedly for protecting the identity of Kashmiri Muslims.
Further, he did not allow the Hindu and Sikh refugees from Muzaffarabad and neighbouring areas (close to Kashmir) to settle in Kashmir; they were forced to move to Jammu. He began to treat J&K his fiefdom and hobnobbed with Pakistan, for which he was removed and jailed in 1953. After initial anger, Nehru’s love for him invoked again, and he was frequently in and out of jail. Meanwhile, the seeds of separatism were being promoted by his colleagues who had formed the Plebiscite Front, the mother organisation of terrorist outfits Jammu and Kashmir National Liberation Front (JKNLF) and UK-based Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). National Conference merged into the Indira Gandhi Congress in February 1965.
The Abdullah Dynasty and Separatism
While Sheikh was moving in and out of jail, his son, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who had migrated to London, became one of the founding members of JKLF there. He espoused the cause of “Liberation of Kashmir” and accordingly administered oath to the volunteers. A photograph showing him being administered oath by Ammanullah Khan in Muzaffarabad in 1974 also surfaced in the media. Former J&K Governor BK Nehru published a photo of him shaking hands with Ammanullah Khan in his book Nice Guys Finish Second. He is also reported to have met the latter in a jail in Belgium. Thus, the links of Dr Farooq Abdullah with separatist cum terrorist ideology outfits was established even before he joined active politics.
Farooq blames RSS and BJP for ignoring him and doubting his loyalty. But readers would be surprised to know that even during Indira Gandhi’s tenure as Prime Minister Centre had suspected him of supporting pre-independence JKLF and toured Pakistan at the invitation of JKLF during his sojourn in London. Even later, he fell foul with Indira Gandhi due to a display of obscenity by some men allegedly sponsored by NC during a Congress rally in Iqbal Park addressed by Indira Gandhi. One of them was later appointed as a Police Officer by Farooq. This led to dethroning of Farooq in 1984 by his brother-in-law, Gul Shah.
First batch of ISI trained terrorists were arrested by J&K Police but ill-thought political decisions had them released and the same terrorists later on led the many terrorist organisations
The love-hate relationship between the Nehru-Abdullah families is very intriguing and suspicious. Nehru arrested Sheikh; his daughter brought him back to power in 1975. What was the compulsion? Farooq and Indira didn’t enjoy very cordial relations, but her son Rajiv signed an accord with him. In 2008, Rahul Gandhi helped Omar Abdullah become the CM. These two families combined are majorly responsible for turning heaven into hell.
An Incremental History of Islamisation
1953-75 was the golden period of peace and development in J&K. It had become the favourite destination of local and foreign tourists and Bollywood. With the return of Sheikh in 1975, the tide turned for the worse. Saudi influence started increasing in the Valley, the process of Islamisation began, Muslim majority district of Kargil was created by bifurcating Ladakh in 1979, Saudi-backed Jhelum Valley Medical College in Kashmir was mooted at the expense of badly needed medical care in Jammu province, names of about 2500 villages were changed to Islamic names, a vicious campaign against the Army began, local Hindus were labelled as “Mukhbirs” (informers). The separatist literature was made freely available in the shops and news stand. The Wahhabis commenced making inroads in Kashmir.
The first-ever International Muslim Conference, duly backed and financed by Saudi Arabia, was held in Srinagar in 1979. The passing of the Resettlement Bill twice by the J&K Legislative Assembly in 1982 boosted the Islamisation campaign launched by the NC-led government. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi must have rued her decision to get back the Sheikh because she took an adamant stand against the Resettlement Bill. But the damage had been done. Sheikh had succeeded in rekindling the flames of separatism and radicalisation, which soon were to burn the Valley, converting it into a hell. The Congress must equally share the blame.
Meanwhile, Farooq Abdullah returned to Kashmir as “heir apparent” in view of his father’s failing health and to unleash dynastic rule. In 1980, he signed an accord with revered Kashmiri religious leader Mirwaiz Farooq (an advocate of self-determination), known as the Double Farooq Accord. Sheikh died in harness in September 1982 and was replaced by Farooq.
Sponsoring Separatism, Stroking Violence
For example, fish cannot survive without water, and no separatist or terrorist movement can sustain or survive without local support and political patronage from the regional parties. A source of funding is also important and Pakistan played that crucial role. Pakistan-backed Jihadi terrorism in Kashmir was also clandestinely supported by regional political parties and financed by Pakistan and other countries. Surprisingly, the Congress-led Central government under Rajiv Gandhi ignored intelligence reports and personal letters from the then Governor Jagmohan highlighting Farooq-led state government’s inefficiency.
G M Shah, installed as chief minister in 1984, released a White Paper against Dr Farooq Abdullah on his acts of omission and commission about the State’s security, communal harmony, and national security. It was presented before the state cabinet on September 3, 1984. The report further confirmed that Dr Abdullah had taken and administered to others the oath of allegiance and dedication to the cause of the so-called liberation of Kashmir with Maqbool Bhat in PoJK.
Farooq Accord or Anti-India Accord?
The report further adds that the Farooq Accord of 1980 created an impression in the Valley as if there was a need to fight against India. “In that process, all the anti-national and secessionist organisations in the valley like Mahaze-e-Azadi, People’s League, Jamat-ul-Tulba, and Kashmir Liberation Front came to the surface in support of Dr Farooq Abdullah projecting assembly elections as a fight between Kashmiris on the one hand and India as a sovereign country on the other.”
The other regional party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), founded by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was also equally responsible for supporting the secessionists. Mufti Sayeed, after he resigned from Congress in August 1987 after the signing of Farooq-Rajiv accord, promoted the Muslim United Front (MUF) launched by his friend Qazi Nisar of Anantnag. He later founded his party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It enjoyed the support of Jamat-e-Islami and other radical and separatist outfits.
The accord between Mirwaiz Farooq and Dr Farooq Abdullah, known as the Double Farooq Accord 1980, created an impression in the Valley that there was a need to fight against India. In that process, all the anti-national and secessionist organisations in the Valley, like Mahaze-e-Azadi, People’s League, Jamat-ul-Tulba, and Kashmir Liberation Front, came to the surface in support of Dr Farooq Abdullah projecting assembly elections as fight between Kashmiris on the one hand and India as a sovereign country on the other.” The result of the election for the first time resulted in the political polarisation of votes on communal lines. While NC won all 46 seats from Kashmir, Congress (I) swept the Jammu and Ladakh regions, winning 26 seats. Farooq Abdullah became the Chief Minister but the victory of NC promoted the rise of secessionist and separatist parties that had remained dormant for quite some time and further boosted communal politics.
In February 1986, massive communal attacks occurred in South Kashmir. Muslim mobs looted and plundered or destroyed the properties and temples of Kashmiri Pandits. The Army was called in to curb the mayhem since Gul Shah’s government failed to bring the situation under control.
While Farooq and Rajiv ignored the intelligence inputs failing to take any action, Rajiv Gandhi paid no heed to the repeated warnings given by Governor Jagmohan in a series of letters written to him
Gul Shah’s government was dismissed in March 1986 by the then Governor Jagmohan. It was reported that Mufti Sayeed, then a Congress leader, had instigated the violence as he was keen to be the Chief Minister and replace Shah. PM Rajiv Gandhi gave Mufti a seat in the Rajya Sabha and made him a Union Minister. In November 1986, after months of hectic parleys, Rajiv Gandhi and Farooq Abdullah signed an accord and the latter was reinstated as the Chief Minister. The disputed elections of 1987 and the subsequent fallout that led to hordes of youth moving to POJK for arms training are well known to all. Abdullah’s tenure from November 1986 to January 1990 was the worst period of J&K’s history, which is well documented and is the harbinger of the dark era which turned Heaven on Earth into hell. It was this period that saw the build-up to the pogrom. NC and Congress cannot absolve themselves of their roles in the same.
While the role played by Dr Farooq Abdullah is quite intriguing to the extent that it was either his incompetence or a deliberate approval to the ongoing killings and kidnappings of the Kashmiri Pandits, but more perplexing is the role of Congress party and its leader, Rajiv Gandhi who turned a deaf ear to the warnings of Governor Jagmohan.
Refusing to Read the Writing on the Wall
Former Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir, Shesh Paul Vaid, in one of his tweets, wrote, “Many people in the country do not know this #KashmirFiles fact: first batch of ISI trained terrorists were arrested by J&K Police, but ill-thought political decisions had them released and the same terrorists, later on, led the many terrorist organisations in J&K.” He also added in his tweet, “Some of the notorious names: Mohammed Afzal Sheikh of Trehgam Rafiq Ahmed Ahangar Mohammad Ayub Najar Farooq Ahmed Ganai Ghulam Mohammed Gujri Farooq Ahmed Malik Nazir Ahmed Sheikh Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Teli. Could this have been possible w/o the knowledge of the Union Govt of 1989?”
While Farooq and Rajiv ignored the intelligence inputs failing to take any action, Rajiv Gandhi paid no heed to the repeated warnings given by Governor Jagmohan in a series of letters written to him, disclosed by the latter in his book My Frozen Turbulence.
The accord between Mirwaiz Farooq and Dr Farooq Abdullah, known as the double Farooq accord, in 1980 created an impression in the Valley as if there was need to fight against India.
“Need I remind you that from the beginning of 1988, I had started sending ‘Warning Signals’ to you about the gathering storm in Kashmir? But you and the power wielders around you had neither the time, nor the inclination, nor the vision, to see these signals. They were so clear, so pointed, that to ignore them was to commit sins of true historical proportions,” Jagmohan wrote in the letter.
Farooq had also ordered the release of the terrorists, as exposed by none other than Mr Vaid. While Kashmir was burning right under the nose of Farooq, Mufti Sayeed was the Home Minister at the Centre. His role in the entire gory saga is also suspect.
There is lot more to be exposed to determine who turned J&K Heaven on Earth into a Hell. But, the constraint of space is a limiting factor. I am sanguine that the readers will not be left with any doubt or apprehensions about the real culprits.
Congress-NC accords/alliances in the past have been disastrous for the unity, integrity and peace of J&K. My humble appeal to the people is to not let the history repeat itself. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it and face the consequences that are likely to be worse than before.”
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