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| The forgotten Sheikh | |
| REVIEW | | Asha Khosa / New Delhi November 8, 2008, 0:11 IST | |
Sixty years after Kashmir threw in its lot with India, the state remains an enigma for policymakers. Even back then, the Kashmiri Muslims - the majority in the state - led by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, had defied popular perception that Muslim majority states would prefer joining Pakistan. Abdullah had snubbed Jinnah by refusing to even meet him when the latter came to the Valley in the hope of convincing the young leader to support Pakistan.
But as soon as the Kashmiris made their choice, the new relationship with New Delhi began to be dogged by doubt and confusion. This continues to manifest itself till today and can be seen in violent upsurges that mark the state periodically.
The book, written by a veteran journalist who had landed in Srinagar with the first contingent of the Indian army that salvaged Kashmir from Pakistan-sponsored tribesmen, offers glimpses into the events around partition: the accession of J&K to India and doubts in the minds of leaders, in both Srinagar and New Delhi, as to the relationship.
This should be a must-read for those who want to understand the background to the current insurgency and yearning for azadi in Kashmir.
At the time of independence, Hari Singh, father of Congress leader Karan Singh, was the ruler of the state, which was not part of British India. However, Kashmir’s social and political psyche had already imbibed the values of the freedom struggle. Inspired by that, the young Abdullah, scion of a middle-class Kashmiri Muslim family, had dared raise his voice against the oppressive regime.
He was moved by poverty and suppression of the Kashmiri Muslim peasantry. In fact, he admitted to be smitten by the Indian leaders, who, in turn, condemned the maharaja and empathised with the suffering masses. It was under the spell of liberal Indian leaders that Abdullah emerged taller by renaming his party — the Muslim Conference — a more secular National Conference.
The partition gave the wily maharaja some breathing space against an indigenous upsurge. He began fantasising about becoming the ruler of an independent Kashmir. While New Delhi waited for his response, the nascent Pakistani regime lost patience and sent in tribesmen to “liberate” Kashmir. A desperate Maharaja’s SOS call to New Delhi led to Indian troops landing in Srinagar and eventually driving out the intruders.
The Maharaja quietly signed the instrument of accession. However, the weakened ruler is alleged to have clandestinely propped up anti-Muslim riots in the Jammu region.
From Bhattacharjea’s account, Nehru emerges a romanticist whose patronising attitude towards Abdullah probably made him take several impulsive decisions on Kashmir. Nehru, as many historians have also noted, had prevailed upon his “realistic” colleagues like Sardar Patel into giving an exalted position to J&K. Abdullah, the “prime minister” of Kashmir, on the other hand, unleashed his dream of “Naya Kashmir”. Under him, Kashmir implemented land reforms.
The transfer of land from zamindars — Hindus and Muslims — to tillers — all Muslims, was bloodless and did not meet with any resistance. However, Abdullah soon started growing restless with Delhi’s approach. A slew of conspiracies finally led to his arrest in 1953. He was charged with hatching a plot to secede from India. The book traces these events till a subdued leader was freed in 1975. He was now chief minister and reconciled to his state being divested of much of its autonomy.
Bhattacharjea’s book delves into the circumstances surrounding the life of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. However, it leaves the reader with a craving for insights into his personal life. The account is mainly based on selective documents and letters exchanged by the dramatis personae, interspersed with some first-hand accounts of the surviving people.
In his life, Abdullah was venerated by his people. However, 10 years after his death, a new generation of Kalashnikov-wielding Kashmiris wanted his grave, located on the banks of Nagin Lake, to be shifted. A posse of CRPF and police jawans has since been posted to guard the marble-mausoleum against hot-heads who blame Abdullah for having made a bad choice in 1947. The monument stands as a symbol of Kashmir’s tragedy and the enigma of its spirit.
SHEIKH MOHAMMAD ABDULLAH: TRAGIC HERO OF KASHMIR
AUTHOR: Ajit Bhattacharje
PUBLISHER: Roli Books
PRICE: Rs 395
PAGES: 271
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