Sheikh Abdullah
reliable, independent, third-party sources. (December 2020) ) |
Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Abdullah | |
---|---|
Independent state | |
In office 5 March 1948 – 31 October 1951 | |
Preceded by | Mehr Chand Mahajan |
Succeeded by | Himself |
President of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | |
In office October 1932 – August 1981 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 5 December 1905 |
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah (5 December 1905 – 8 September 1982) was a Kashmiri politician who played a central role in the
He served as the 1st elected Prime Minister of the
Early life
Sheikh Abdullah was born on 5 December 1905 in Soura, a suburb on the outskirts of Srinagar, two weeks after the death of his father Sheikh Mohammed Ibrahim.[10][11]
As claimed by him in his autobiography Aatish-e-Chinar,
He was first admitted to a traditional school or
Higher studies
After matriculation he obtained admission in
Political activism
As a student at
Reading Room Party
In the 1920s there were a couple of 'reading rooms' in Srinagar which consisted of the educated youth of the area and could only be formed after acquiring the permission of the government. Forming political associations the time was banned. In 1922, G. A. Ashai set up the Islamia School Old Boys Association (a reading room) with 20 members as part of the leadership, including Sheikh Abdullah. At this time Abdullah was still in college.[19]
Permission to open the Fateh Kadal Reading Room Party was given in 1930 and Sheikh Abdullah became the Secretary of the party. During Abdullah's time the reading room party was located in the house of Mufti Ziauddin. For Abdullah, "the establishment of reading room(s) was an excuse"; rather it was an opportunity to get together to discuss different issues.[20]
One of the first incidents which led Abdullah's Reading Room Party to gain wider recognition was after writing a letter to the government related to government recruitment policies. Subsequently they were called to present their views in front of the Regency Council[a] headed by G. E. C. Wakefield in October 1930. This was one of the first interactions of Sheikh Abdullah with the government and the favourable impression that Abdullah had left on Wakefield helped push his name into the public limelight.[21]
Muslim Conference
Sheikh Abdullah and his colleagues were greatly influenced by the lectures of a Kashmiri polymath and lawyer Molvi Abdullah.[22] Molvi Abdullah's son Molvi Abdul Rahim, Sheikh Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Gilkar were the first three educated Kashmiri youth to be arrested during the public agitation of 1931.[23]
Kashmir's first political party the
In March 1933 the Muslim Conference constituted a committee which included Molvi Abdullah and nine other members for the purpose of establishing contacts with non-Muslim parties and exploring the possibility of forming a joint organisation. Those nine members were Khwaja Saad-ud-din Shawl, Khwaja Hassan Shah Naqshbandi, Mirwaiz Kashmir, Molvi Ahmad-Ullah, Mirwaiz Hamadani, Agha Syed Hussain Shah Jalali, Mufti Sharif-ud-din, Molvi Atiq-Ullah and Haji Jafar Khan. According to Abdullah Sheikh this effort was not successful because of the unfavourable reception of the idea by the non-Muslim parties.[25] Sheikh Abdullah campaigned to change the name of the Muslim Conference to National Conference, under the influence of among others Jawaharlal Nehru. After a prolonged and vigorous campaign a special session of the Muslim Conference held in June 1939 voted to change the name of the party to National Conference. Of the 176 members attending the session, 172 members voted in favour of the resolution.[26] According to Sheikh Abdullah the support of Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas of Jammu was very important in motivating the members to vote for this change.[27]
Electoral politics
As a result of the 1931 agitation, the Maharajah appointed a Grievances Commission with an Englishman B.J. Glancy as President who submitted its report in March 1932.
Even after the formation of Praja Sabha in 1934 as recommended by the Commission real power continued to remain in the hands of the Maharajah.[31]
Seventeen years later in 1951, the government of Kashmir with Sheikh Abdullah as Prime Minister held elections to a Constituent Assembly on the basis of universal adult suffrage. Sheikh Abdullah's Government had been accused of rigging in these elections to the
Sheikh Abdullah was introduced to Jawaharlal Nehru in 1937 and as he too was a leader of the
National Conference
He introduced a resolution in the working committee of the Muslim Conference for changing its name to National Conference on 24 June 1938 to allow people from all communities to join the struggle against the
He presented these demands to the Maharajah in a speech on 28 August 1938.
Quit Kashmir agitation
In May 1946 Sheikh Abdullah launched the Quit Kashmir agitation against Maharajah Hari Singh and was arrested and sentenced to three years imprisonment but was released only sixteen months later on 29 September 1947.[41]
Head of Government
Head of emergency administration
Maharaja Hari Singh appealed to Lord Mountbatten, the Governor-General of India for Indian military aid. In his accession offer dated 26 October 1947 which accompanied The Instrument of Accession duly signed by him on 26 October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh wrote "I may also inform your Excellency's Government that it is my intention at once to set up an interim Government and ask Sheikh Abdullah to carry the responsibilities in this emergency with my Prime Minister."[42][43]
Lord Mountbatten accepted the accession after a meeting of the Defence Committee on 26 October 1947. In accepting the accession unconditionally he wrote, "I do hereby accept this Instrument of Accession. Dated this twenty seventh day of October, nineteen hundred and forty seven."[44] In the covering letter to Hari Singh, he wrote "In consistence with their policy that in the case of any State where the issue of accession has been the subject of dispute, the question of accession should be decided in accordance with the wishes of the people of the State, it is my Government's wish that, as soon as law and order have been restored in Kashmir and its soil cleared of the invader, the question of the State's accession should be settled by a reference to the people."[45] Also in his letter to the Maharaja, Lord Mountbatten wrote "My Government and I note with satisfaction that your Highness has decided to invite Sheikh Abdullah to form an Interim Government to work with your Prime Minister." The support of Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was a key factor in getting Sheikh Abdullah appointed as Head of the emergency administration by the Maharaja.[46]
As a consequence, Sheikh Abdullah was appointed head of an emergency administration by an order issued by the Maharaja which was undated except for the mention of October 1947 in place of the date. He took charge as Head of the Emergency Administration on 30 October 1947.[47]
He raised a force of local Kashmiri volunteers to patrol Srinagar and take control of administration after the flight of the Maharaja along with his family and Prime Minister Meher Chand Mahajan to Jammu even before the Indian troops had landed. This group of volunteers would serve as the nucleus for the subsequent formation of Jammu and Kashmir Militia.[48] This, Sheikh Abdullah hoped, would take over the defence of Kashmir after the Indian army was withdrawn. This was articulated in his letter to Sardar Patel dated 7 October 1948 in which he wrote, "With the taking over of the State forces by the Indian Government, it was agreed that steps would be taken to reorganise and rebuild our army so that when the present emergency is over and the Indian forces are withdrawn the State will be left with a proper organised army of its own to fall back upon."[49] (Sheikh Abdullah has alleged that most of the Muslim soldiers of the Militia were either discharged or imprisoned before his arrest in 1953.[50] The Militia (dubbed as Dagan Brigade) was converted from a State Militia to a regular unit of the Indian Army on 2 December 1972 and redesignated the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry).[51]
Sheikh Abdullah spoke at the UN Security Council on 5 February 1948 thus:
While the [tribal] raiders came to our land, massacred thousands of people — mostly Hindus and Sikhs, but Muslims too — abducted thousands of girls, Hindu, Sikhs and Muslims alike, looted our property and almost reached the gates of our summer capital, Srinagar, the result was that the civil, military and police administration failed. The Maharaja, in the dead of the night, left the capital along with his courtiers, and the result was absolute panic. There was no one to take over control. In that hour of crisis, the National Conference came forward with 10,000 volunteers and took over the administration of [Kashmir].[52]
Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
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Return to activism
Arrest and release
On 8 August 1953 he was dismissed as Prime Minister by the then Sadr-i-Riyasat (Constitutional
According to Sheikh Abdullah his dismissal and arrest were engineered by the central government headed by Prime Minister
After his release he was reconciled with Nehru. Nehru requested Sheikh Abdullah to act as a bridge between India and Pakistan and make President Ayub to agree to come to New Delhi for talks for a final solution of the Kashmir problem. President
Sheikh Abdullah went to Pakistan in spring of 1964. President Ayub Khan of Pakistan held extensive talks with him to explore various avenues for solving the Kashmir problem and agreed to come to Delhi in mid June for talks with Nehru as suggested by him. Even the date of his proposed visit was fixed and communicated to New Delhi.[63] However, before Ayub Khan could make his visit, Nehru died on 27 May 1964. The Sheikh was en route to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir when he received the news. He addressed a public rally at Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and returned to Delhi.[64] On his suggestion, President Ayub Khan sent a high level Pakistani delegation led by his Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto along with him to take part in the last rites of Jawaharlal Nehru.[65]
After Nehru's death in 1964, Sheikh Abdullah was again interned from 1965 to 1968. The internment was ordered by
After Indo-Pakistan war and creation of Bangladesh
In 1971, the
Return to power
He assumed the position of Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The Central Government and the ruling Congress Party withdrew its support so that the State Assembly had to be dissolved and mid term elections called.[68]
The National Conference won an overwhelming majority in the subsequent elections and re-elected Sheikh Abdullah as Chief Minister.[69] He remained as Chief Minister till his death in 1982.
Abdullah, described as a six feet four inches (1.93 m)[70][71][72] to six feet six inches (1.98 m) tall man,[73] was fluent in both Kashmiri and Urdu. His biography in Urdu entitled Atish-e-Chinar was written by the noted Kashmiri author M.Y. Taing and published after Sheikh Abdullah's death. It is often referred to as his autobiography as Taing claimed that he only acted as an amanuensis.[74] It is based on extensive interviews that Taing had with Sheikh Abdullah and provides valuable information on Sheikh Abdullah's family background, early life, ringside glimpses of happenings in Kashmir at a crucial juncture in its history, and his viewpoint about the political events in Kashmir in which he himself played a central role.[75]
After his death his eldest son Dr. Farooq Abdullah was elected as the Chief Minister of the State.
Personal life
In 1933 he married
Commentaries
Pakistani view
The government of Pakistan in 1947 viewed Abdullah and his party as agents of Nehru and did not recognise his leadership of Kashmir.
Legacy
Along with Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed, Sheikh Abdullah has been called the "Architect of Modern Kashmir".[85]
The birth anniversary of Abdullah was a public holiday in the state until 2019.
In popular culture
The Flame of the Chinar, a 1998 Indian feature documentary film directed by Zul Vellani covers his life and works. It was produced by the Government of India's Film Division.[92] Anang Desai portrayed Abdullah in the 2013 Indian docudrama television series Pradhanmantri, which covered the tenures of Indian PMs.[93]
See also
- List of Kashmiris
- History of Jammu and Kashmir
- Kashmir conflict
- Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir)
- Kashmiriyat – a socio-cultural ethos of religious harmony and Kashmiri consciousness.
- Political Parties in Kashmir in 1947
- List of topics on the land and the people of "Jammu and Kashmir"
- Kashmir Conspiracy Case
- List of political families
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d Hoiberg, Dale H. (2010) p 22-23
- ^ "MOHAMMAD ABDULLAH DIES; LED INDIA'S STATE OF KASHMIR (Published 1982)". The New York Times. 9 September 1982.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-935501-34-3. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ "Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah" (PDF). eparlib.nic.in. Eminent Parliamentarians Monograph Series. Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi. 1990. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 January 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Guha, Ramachandra. "Opening a window in Kashmir." Economic and Political Weekly (2004): 3905-3913.
- ^ Lamb, Alastair. The Myth of Indian Claim to Jammu and Kashmir: A Reappraisal. World Kashmir Freedom Movement.
- JSTOR 2539071.
- ISBN 9780198074083.
- ^ Rakesh Ankit, "Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah of Kashmir, 1965–1975: From Externment to Enthronement." Studies in Indian Politics 6.1 (2018): 88-102 online.
- ^ a b c d e Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah: A Profile, Lok Sabha Secretariat (1990), p. 1.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 4.
- ISBN 978-0-670-85318-2.
- ISBN 978-1-60481-603-7.
- ISBN 9788174366719.
- ISBN 9789388292122.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 5.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 1–14.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 8–9.
- ISBN 978-1-60481-603-7.
- ISBN 978-0-429-65734-4.
- ^ Ganai, Muhammad Yousuf. Emergence and Role of Muslim Conference in Kashmir (1932-1939) (PDF). Department of History, University of Kashmir. p. 147.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 67.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 94.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 156–160.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 163.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 239.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 238.
- ^ Justice A.S. Anand (2006), p28
- ^ Regulation No1. of Samvat1991 (22 April 1934)
- ^ Justice A.S. Anand (2006), p30
- ^ Justice A.S. Anand (2006), p36
- ^ APHC: White Paper on Elections In Kashmir
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 226–227.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 228.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 232.
- ^ Rasheed Taseer (1973) vol2, p29
- ^ Rasheed Taseer (1973) vol2, p314-383
- ^ Rasheed Taseer (1973) vol2, p25
- ^ Rasheed Taseer (1973) vol2, p25-40
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 237.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 327–389.
- ^ Maharaja Hari Singh's letter requesting Indian Assistance against tribal raids. Satp.org (26 October 1947). Retrieved on 7 December 2018.
- ^ Accession Of Jammu And Kashmir State To India. Text Of Letter Dated 26 October 1947 From Hari Singh, The Maharaja Of Jammu & Kashmir to Lord Mountbatten, The then Governor General of India.
- ^ Acceptance Of Accession By The Governor General Of India Archived 17 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Jammu-kashmir.com (26 October 1947). Retrieved on 7 December 2018.
- ^ Rediff On The NeT Special: The Real Kashmir Story. Rediff.com (2 June 1999). Retrieved on 7 December 2018.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 462–464.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 431.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 413–414.
- ^ Sandeep Bamzai (2006), p73
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 567.
- ^ PIB Press release Press Information Bureau Govt of India 16 September 2004
- ^ "Excerpts of Sheikh Abdullah's February 5, 1948, speech in the UN Security Council". www.satp.org. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 593–594.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 607.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 600.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 711–717.
- ^ a b Abdullah & Taing (1985, pp. 566–567)
- ^ B.N. Mullick (1972)
- ^ A.G. Noorani (2006)
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 752.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 755–757.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 774–778.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 782.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 786.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 787.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 817–825.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 827–838.
- ^ Noorani, A. G. (16 September 2000), "Article370: Law and Politics", Frontline, vol. 17, no. 19
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 860–882.
- ^ C. Bilqees Taseer, The Kashmir of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, p. 330
- ^ Korbel 1966, p. 17.
- ^ Russel Brines, The Indo-Pakistani conflict, p. 67
- ^ Hugh Tinker, "Accursed Paradise" in New Society, Volume 6, p.25
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, Preface.
- ^ Hussain 2013, p. 2.
- ^ a b Whitehead, Andrew (6 March 2014). "Srinagar: Nedou's reborn?". Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 193.
- ^ Mubashhir Hassan (2008)
- ^ Tariq Ali (2003), p 230
- ^ Sandeep Bamzai (2006), p242.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 783.
- ^ The WEEKLY "AAINA" 15 July 1970, p19
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, p. 779.
- ^ Abdullah & Taing 1985, pp. 265–268.
- ^ Para, Altaf Hussain (14 March 2015). "Sheikh Abdullah: The Architect of Modern Kashmir". Greater Kashmir. Archived from the original on 30 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ Ahmad, Mudasir (28 December 2019). "J&K Drops Martyr's Day, Sheikh Abdullah Birth Anniversary From Public Holidays List". The Wire. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "J&K: Leaders Criticise Move to Drop 'Sher-e-Kashmir' from Conference Centre's Name". The Wire. 10 March 2020. Archived from the original on 10 March 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "Jammu and Kashmir drops 'Sher-e-Kashmir' from name of police medals". Hindustan Times. Press Trust of India. 26 January 2020. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ Kathju, Junaid (4 November 2019). "Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium Likely to be Renamed after Sardar Patel". The Wire. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Independence Day: 100-ft Tricolour hoisted in Srinagar; no internet suspension for first time". The New Indian Express. PTI. 15 August 2021. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ Huda, Kashif-ul (15 March 2020). "Govt's name-changing spree in Kashmir "too small an issue" for people". TwoCircles.net. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Flame Of The Chinar, The | Films Division". filmsdivision.org. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Pradhanmantri - Episode 3 - Story of Kashmir". ABP News. 28 July 2013. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021.
- Sources
- Ankit, Rakesh. "Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah of Kashmir, 1965–1975: From Externment to Enthronement." Studies in Indian Politics 6.1 (2018): 88-102 online
- Guha, Ramachandra. "Opening a window in Kashmir." Economic and Political Weekly (2004): 3905-3913. online
- Abdullah, Sheikh; Taing, M. Y. (1985), Atish-e-Chinar [Flames of the Chinar] (PDF) (in Urdu), Srinagar: Shaukat Publications, archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2020, retrieved 27 December 2020 Often referred to as Sheikh Abdullah's autobiography. It has not been copyrighted in deference to Sheikh Abdullah's wishes.
- Hussain, Syed Taffazull (23 November 2013) [first published in 2009], Sheikh Abdullah – A Biography: The Crucial Period 1905–1939, Indianapolis: WordClay, ISBN 978-1-60481-309-8
- Korbel, Josef (1966), Danger in Kashmir, Princeton University Press
- "Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah" (PDF). Eminent Parliamentarians Monograph Series. Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi. 1990.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - "Part 1. His Life. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah: A Profile" (PDF). Eminent Parliamentarians Monograph Series. Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi. 1990.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: others (link)
References
- A.G. Noorani (2000), "Article370: Law and Politics". Frontline Volume 17 – Issue 19, 16–29 September, (Discusses illegality of Central Govt and Parliament's Actions in amending Article 370 without concurrence of Constituent Assembly of Kashmir)
- A.G. Noorani (2006), "Nehru's legacy in foreign affairs". Frontline Volume 23 – Issue 15 :: 29 July 11 August 2006 (Discusses Nehru's role in arrest of Sheikh Abdullah and erosion of Article 370)
- B.N. Mullick (1972): My Years with Nehru (Provides evidence of Nehru's role in dismissal and arrest of Sheikh Abdullah. B.N. Mullick was head of Indian Intelligence Bureau at the time of his arrest)
- ISBN 978-1-59339-837-8.
- ISBN 81-7534-520-9
- Mubashir Hassan (18 July 2008), "The Nedous and Lawrence of Arabia", The Nation (Pakistan), archived from the original on 9 January 2009, retrieved 22 July 2008
- Rasheed Taseer (1973): Tareekh e Hurriyat e Kashmir (URDU). Muhafiz Publications Srinagar Volume 2 gives an account of events in Kashmir from 1932 to 1946 as seen by a local journalist.
- Sandeep Bamzai (2006): Bonfire of Kashmiryat Rupa & Co. New Delhi. ISBN 81-291-1060-1
- ISBN 978 1 85984 457 1
- Syed Taffazull Hussain (2009): Sheikh Abdullah – A biography:The Crucial Period 1905–1939. Wordclay. Indianapolis.IN. ISBN 978-1-60481-309-8(Annotated 2015 edition with 38 References and 650 footnotes is available at http:// books.google.co.in.It has chapters on The Kashmir Committee, Jinnah's first visit to Kashmir, and describes errors of omission and commission in Atish e Chinar all for the first time.)
- APHC: White Paper On Elections in Kashmir (undated): (retrieved on 5 November 2008)
- ISBN 969-402-498-6
- Baba Pyare Lal Bedi, Freda Marie (Houlston) Bedi (1949): Sheikh Abdullah: his life and ideals
- Ravinderjit Kaur (1998): "Political Awakening In Kashmir. South Asia Books. ISBN 978-8-17024-709-8
- Brenda M King (2005): "Silk and empire" Manchester University Press ISBN 978-07190-6701-3. Describes Sir Thomas Wardle's role in establishing modern filatures in Kashmir and his dream of making Kashmir a competitor for China and Japan in the international silk market.