Chand Jee Bhat
Pandit Tika Lal Taploo was a lion amongst men in Kashmir. He was born in 1930 and did his post and law graduation from Aligarh Muslim University. As he was refused admission he launched an agitation against the university authorities and compelled them to give admission and completed his studies there in 1958.
In the year 1967, a muslim employee abducted a hindu girl in Srinagar. As a reaction to this incident, Hindus started demonstrating against the callous attitude of the police and the administrative authorities. Among many prominent persons Pt. Tika Lal Taploo also condemned the brutalities perpetuated by police on demonstrators. Pt. Tika Lal Taploo excelled his activities under the banner of Bharti Jan Sangh. He contested parliament and assembly election but lost Habba Kadal assembly seat in 1972 by a margin of only few hundred votes while Congress candidate lost deposit.
He was very popular in people due to his deeds. How can one forget his belief in discipline in the party rank and file by instinctely obeying the instructions of one who was younger in age and far less experienced in life and work. He was a great orator and could keep his audience spell bound by his logic and by special emphatic way of delivering his words.
There would hardly be an issue pertaining to the political social and economical discrimination against any of the people, over which Pt.Tika Lal Taploo may not have raised his voice to reach the high authority and administration. Uncertainties, failures in life did not ever deter him from the path of fight against the autocratic attitude of the state. Tears of suffering people irrespective of caste would move him. He was a skilled and gifted lawyer, but never did he use his skill for commercial gains. He always tried to plead the cases of poor without any charges. Material gains had very less influence on his temperament. Dedication in the services of nation and fearlessness imbibed by him in RSS Shaka remained with him all through his life.
Pt. Tika Lal Taploo was a politician and rose to the high office of vice president of Pradesh Bharatya Janata Party. He was a fearless, transparent, honest and an upright politician. He was a Nationalist so could never compromise on the question of Bharat and Kashmir being an internal part of it.
He was quick to denounce the bomb blast in mosque in Chinkral mohalla where he lived. He dared the terrorists to have come to the den of the lion. He was selected as the first amongst lacs of Kashmiri Pandits and was brutally gunned down by the terrorists on September 13th 1989.
He was given a tearful farewell. Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits accompanied his funeral procession. The Kashmiri Hindu Organizations had given a call for a bandh on that day. The Hindu Shops, Schools and office establishments were closed. As the mortal remains of Dear Lala ji on his last journey wound its way through the streets of Srinagar, some miscreants of JKLF tried to disrupt the procession by pelting stones. They though failed in their attempt to disturb the procession. The Muslim community in general was also grief stricken but choose to stay quite because of the gun culture just unleashed in Srinagar. Among others Kedar Nath Sahni and Lal Krishna Advani also accompanied his funeral.
We lost our great leader and an iron man “Pt.Tika Lal Taploo”. His killers have not been arrested yet but enjoying freedom. How Pity!
Follow our WhatsApp channel
