Srinagar, Sept 08 (GNS): National Conference president and parliamentarian Farooq Abdullah On Monday accused BJP and RSS of playing “communal politics”.
The former 3-time chief minister of erstwhile J&K state said that history was testimony that National Conference never indulged in communal politics.
“National Conference has never indulged in communal politics. It is our history. Sher-e-Kashmir (Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah) converted Muslim Conference into National Conference because he wanted everyone to be involved. He knew Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Budh, everyone is suffering from poverty and other problems,” he told reporters as per GNS after offering prayers along the party leaders and activists to father at Hazratbal here.
“How we became communal today? If anyone is playing communal politics is BJP and RSS. You all know about it and they will drown in it,” Farooq added as he was responding to question on BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav’s recent article in a local daily, accusing National Conference of indulging in communal politics.
Earlier Farooq and Vice President Omar Abdullah paid glowing tributes to Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah on his 38th death anniversary.
They led party functionaries, workers and delegates in offering glowing tributes and Fateh prayers at Hazratbal.
While paying tributes to Sher-e-Kashmir, Farooq as per a party statement said, “The spirit of secularism and tolerance possessed by Sher-e-Kashmir was the cumulative effect of the environment which generation after generation has fine-tuned the psyche of Kashmiris. Sher-e-Kashmir was not any different, he also exhibited the spirit of tolerance, mutual respect and camaraderie towards all religions, sects and creeds. He made earnest efforts to strengthen it.
He added: “His political struggle for the restoration of people’s rights wasn’t exclusive on the contrary it was inclusive. A mass movement organizer, Sheikh Sahib’s struggle was never aimed to alleviate the suffering of particular followers of a faith. He worked tirelessly, suffered incarcerations throughout for the total redemption of the entire human kind living in Jammu and Kashmir from abject poverty. He gave a new lease of life to the fear paralyzed people of all the regions of J&k; he not only restored the lost identity of the people of the state but also ensured its protection through various agreements with the center.”
He further added, “In order to provide a joint platform to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he rechristened the Muslim Conference to National Conference. The first cabinet he headed was insightful of his secular temperament; people like GL Dogra, Sardar Budh Singh, Kushak Bakula, and DP Dhar were given important portfolios in the cabinet he headed.
Farooq said his father also didn’t let the communal frenzy of 1947 permeate into Kashmir. “He educated his people about the merits of a progressive and a secular polity. At a time when the entire sub-continent had turned a favorite hunt of vultures in the run up for partition, it was in Kashmir that Mahatma Gandhi saw a ray of hope, and that ray of hope was none other than Sher-e-Kashmir. He remained opposed to violence all his life being conscious of the fact that it also increases the miseries of people. He outright rejected every thing that did not meet his requirement of secularism, socialism, participatory administration, and development. On this day I pay my tributes to this greatest son of the soil. The best tribute to him, however, would be to follow ideals, which undoubtedly were far ahead of his and still have universal acceptance,” he said.
Party Vice President while paying tributes to Sher-e-Kashmir said, “He belonged to that glorious tribe of great men, who changed the course of history. He bequeathed people with equal rights irrespective of their regional and religious affiliations.
Omar added: “A true democratic, he ushered in grass roots level democracy in J&k much before it was even thought of in other parts of the country. His land to tiller reforms, single line administration, abolition of big landed estates, abolition of debts, universal adult franchise, gender neutral education helped the subjugated, underprivileged and wretched.”
The “sleuth of people friendly measures” undertaken by him provided succor to the people living in all regions of J&k, not just Kashmir, Omar said.
“He continued to clutch on the principles of secularism regardless of his sufferings at the hands of those at the helm of affairs in New Delhi. I pay my earnest tributes to him, the best one would be to draw strength from his values and struggle towards implanting them in public life for the betterment of the people of J&k,” he said. (GNS)