Chanakya Charan Dass “Tikri”
J&K is once again in the election mode for electing MLAs to the Legislature. The Congress party and the National Conference are once again in an electoral alliance.
These parties have had a long history of alliances and breakups in the past. They never have had remorse at the damage caused to the unity, integrity of J&K by the policies pursued by their Governments from time to time nor at the damage caused to the economic, political, social and cultural fabric of the State/UT.
The first Accord between NC and INC came about when Sheikh Abdullah was introduced to Jawaharlal Nehru in 1937. The Sheikh had become famous after the 1931 agitation against Maharaja Hari Singh. Nehru developed instant liking for the well-educated Sheikh as he was a Kashmiri Muslim and was quite articulate in putting across his point of view to his audience. He was heading the Muslim Conference which was renamed National Conference on 11th June 1939.
Fast forward to May 10th, 1946, the Sheikh launched the Quit Kashmir movement against the Dogra rulers. On 17.05.1946 the Sheikh said in a speech that “the tyranny of Dogras has lacerated our souls. It is time for action. You must fight slavery and enter the field of “Jihad” as soldiers. Every man, woman and child will shout “Quit Kashmir.” On May 20th the Sheikh was arrested. No one, including Nehru, took note of the “Jihad” being waged against Hari Singh by “secular NC” in 1946.
Nehru was incensed and exhorted the Maharaja to release the Sheikh. When his demand was not met, he proceeded to Kashmir to seek release of his friend. While entering J&K on 21.07.1946 Nehru was arrested by the state forces on the Kohala bridge.
This incident cemented Nehru-Sheikh friendship and the relations between Nehru and the Maharaja dipped forever. Nehru couldn’t fathom the duplicitous nature of the Sheikh which was, though, evident to his own cabinet colleagues including Sardar Patel. The India was partitioned on 14/15 Aug 1947.The Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession with India on 26th Oct 1947 after Pakistan raiders attacked Kashmir on 22nd Oct 1947
The Nehru – Sheikh friendship culminated in the incorporation of the article 370 in the Indian Constitution to the chagrin of Sardar Patel and Dr. Ambedkar. This led to Delhi agreement (announced in Parliament on July 24th, 1952) between the Sheikh and Nehru which was supposed to define the constitutional relationship between J&K and India.
On 21st Aug 1952 the State Constituent Assembly abolished hereditary monarchy. The Sheikh didn’t agree to Karan Singh’s idea of hoisting the Indian Flag on the Jammu Secretariat. The Sheikh, after implementing the articles of the Delhi agreement closer to his heart started dragging his feet on the implementation of the rest.
The friendship between Nehru and the Sheikh was steadily showing cracks as per Dr. Karan Singh and Nehru was feeling disgusted with the intransigent attitude of the Sheikh who had begun to refuse meeting the PM for discussing issues involving J&K.
Evidently, the Sheikh was thinking of an independent Sheikhdom, egged by the Americans.
He met Adlai Stevenson, the US Ambassador at the UN in Srinagar on May 3rd, 1953. Sheikh’s speeches and interviews to the press indicated that everything was not well between him and Nehru. In his speech on “Martyrs Day” on 13th July 1953 he stated that “it is not necessary that our State should become an appendage of India or Pakistan.”
All these factors, including the death of Syama Prasad Mukherjee in Srinagar jail on 23rd June 1953, led to the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah on 8th August 1953. Nehru, who had fought the Maharaja over the Sheikh’s arrest once was compelled to arrest him now.
Thus, the first “accord” between the Sheikh and Nehru came to an end and J&K was pushed into a period of turmoil.
Whether in jail or out of it the Sheikh continued to play over the religious sentiments and identity issue of the Kashmiris. He created the Plebiscite Front in 1955. Its activities and that of several terrorist and separatist organizations of the time were seen to be in sync.
While Nehru continued to dither, the Sheikh made it a point to ensure that the matters regarding integration of J&K with India remained on the edge through his tactics of deliberate ambiguity and duplicity. After his release from prison on 8th April 1964, the Sheikh was received warmly by Nehru at his Teen Murti House and he stayed with him. Nehru’s heart once again played the trick and the Sheikh was sent to Pakistan to “mediate” with President Ayub Khan about J&K. The meeting took place on May 25th, 1964. On May 27th, 1964, Nehru passed away.
In his lifetime Nehru was unable to understand the duplicitous nature of the Sheikh. India continues to pay a steep price for that.
Even after Nehru’s death the Sheikh tried every trick to “lacerate the soul of India”. While on Haj in February 1965 he met Zhou Enlai, the PM of China on 28th March 1965 in Algeria.
The seeds of uncertainty sown by NC, INC accord resulted in continuing turmoil in J&K including the theft of “Holy Relic” from Hazratbal shrine in 1963, infiltration of thousands of Razakars and Mujahidin into Kashmir from Pakistan and an attack on India in 1965 and creation of al-Fateh terrorist group. The machinations of Pakistan were thwarted by the Indian Army very bravely.
The defeat of Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh, in 1971, at the hands of India forced the Sheikh to recalibrate his polices with respect to India.
When offered, he started a dialogue with Indira Gandhi that resulted in the Indira – Sheikh accord on 24th Feb 1975, the 2nd accord between NC and the Congress.
Sheikh Abdullah, a non-Congressman, was elected leader of the Congress legislature party and he took over as the CM of J&K.
Once CM, he started playing his old tricks& showing his thumb to Indira Gandhi. Indira Gandhi advised him to join INC, but he revived NC, became its President and merged the Plebiscite Front into it. By Oct 1975 the wedge between NC and INC widened.
Finally, the die was cast when Indira Gandhi lost elections in 1977 and Janta Party came to power. Indira withdrew support to the Sheikh Government. The assembly was dissolved and elections to the state legislature were held.
NC got 46 seats out of 76 and was returned to power. Congress got 10 from Jammu region.
The NC’s majority in the assembly brought out the authoritarian streak of the Sheikh, both in the administration and the party. Corruption, parochialism, religious and regional discrimination became normal.
Sheikh Abdullah brought in the resettlement bill and released 30 hardcore terrorists of al-Fateh so as to keep the emotional fervour of the Kashmiris on the boil.
The Sheikh prepared the ground for induction of Dr. Farooq as the President of NC by asking Mirza Afzal Beg, the long time associate of the Sheikh to resign on 25th Sept 1978. He was the brain behind the party and its philosophy all along.
The Sheikh died on Sept 8th, 1982. Indira Gandhi ensured that Farooq Abdullah takes over as the CM keeping GM Shah, his brother-in-law, at bay.
The relations between Indira and Farooq soured by the time of state assembly elections of 1983. During this period the security situation in Punjab had deteriorated and Farooq took advantage of this situation to bolster his own political position in J&K by hobnobbing with the “undesirable elements.” Violent incidents in J&K also became a usual occurrence.
Indira appointed Jagmohan as Governor of J&K on April 26th, 1984. (He relinquished office on 12 July 1989). The turmoil in J&K compelled the central Government to impose Governor/Presidents’ rule from 07.03.1986 to 07.11.1986.
Meanwhile, Indira Gandhi was killed by her bodyguards on 31st Oct 1984resulting in violence in J&K too.
Rajiv Gandhi took over as the Prime Minister of the country on the same day.
Rajiv Gandhi and Farooq Abdullah once again displayed bonhomie and under Rajiv – Farooq accord Farooq took over as the CM of J&K on Nov 7, 1986. This was the third accord between the two parties.
Under Farooq Abdullah as CM, elections to state legislature were held on March 1987. The coalition partners swept the polls, but Farooq Abdullah “rigged them in the Valley” fearing major challenge from the new political dispensation, The Muslim United Front.
The rigged elections of 1987 pushed J&K into anarchy, mayhem and bloodshed steadily but surely and that culminated in the events of Dec 1989 and thereafter. The rest is history.
Not able to handle the fast-deteriorating security situation in the Kashmir Valley, Farooq Abdullah resigned as the CM on January 18, 1990, blaming everyone else excepting himself. He continued to stoke the flames of hatred and division, vociferously, discreetly or indiscreetly siding with the terrorist organizations.
National Conference and the Congress have once again entered the electoral fray with an accord to fight the assembly elections of 2024.
The people of J&K must keep in view the fact that whenever these two parties have formed a coalition for coming to power it has always resulted in anarchy, mayhem and bloodshed. They have always brought in uncertainty by playing on the sentiments of the gullible people of J&K.
History must be remembered and analyzed by the people of J&K so that it is not repeated.
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