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Why Farooq Abdullah is Villain No. 1 in the eyes of Kashmiri Pandits?

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A majority of Kashmiri Pandits view Farooq Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, as the main culprit behind the atrocities committed against them.

They believe that he was responsible for all the events that preceded the mass exodus of the minority community and the advent of terrorism in the Valley.

Farooq Abdullah was the Chief Minister from November 7, 1986 to January 18, 1990. It was this period which saw Kashmir gradually falling down the precipice, and despite warnings by intelligence agencies the indifference seemed insurmountable.

In February 1986, massive communal attacks occurred in South Kashmir. Muslim mobs looted and plundered or destroyed the properties and temples of Kashmiri Pandits.

Ghulam Mohammad Shah, the brother-in-law of Farooq Abdullah, was the Chief Minister then. He failed to curb the violence and called in the army to curb the mayhem.

His government was dismissed in March 1986 by the then Governor Jagmohan. It was reported that Mufti Sayeed, then a Congress leader, had instigated the violence as he was keen to be the Chief Minister and replace Shah.

Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister then who later gave Sayeed a seat in the Rajya Sabha and also made him a Union Minister. In November 1986, after months of hectic parleys, Rajiv Gandhi and Farooq Abdullah signed an accord and the latter was reinstated as the Chief Minister.

It was this period that saw the build up to the pogrom.

Ramesh Raina, President (All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), said, “This 1986-1989 period is significant in the history of Kashmir, which is often ignored. The exodus did not happen overnight. There was full preparation for this. Abudllah fooled the nation with this accord. You can say he was incompetent and he didn’t have any control, or you can say he was totally involved, knew everything and let things build up.”

Panun Kashmir leader Ramesh Manvat said, “Muslim Conference, the original avatar of ‘National’ Conference started as a group to fight for the rights of Muslims in Kashmir in 1930s; turned their tide against then Maharaja Hari Singh; nourished the dream of an Independent Kashmir (following their call of ‘Quit Kashmir’ in 1940s) — leading to the dismissal of its founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1950s … The legacy of communal Muslim mindset and inconsistencies in National Conference’s approach towards minorities — Kashmiri Pandits and the ‘idea of India’ they represent have been carried forward by Farooq Abdullah, during his long reign as CM of J&K.

“Farooq Abdullah, as a tacit supporter of the happenings on the ground was busy playing golf and giving joy rides to Bollywood heroines, before finally choosing to run away to London when Kashmir was burning and a full-blown genocide of Pandits was taking place.”

Former Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir, Shesh Paul Vaid, tweeted on March 16: “Many people in the country do not know this #KashmirFiles fact: first batch of ISI trained were arrested by J&K Police but ill-thought political decisions had them released and the same terrorists later on led the many terrorist organisations in J&K.”

Vaid was the DGP of J&K from December 31, 2016 till September 6, 2018. He also added in his tweet: “Some of the notorious names: Mohammed Afzal Sheikh of Trehgam Rafiq Ahmed Ahangar Mohammad Ayub Najar Farooq Ahmed Ganai Ghulam Mohammed Gujri Farooq Ahmed Malik Nazir Ahmed Sheikh Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Teli. Could this have been possible w/o the knowledge of the Union Govt of 1989?”

The fact that the intelligence agencies had repeatedly been alerting about the hordes of Kashmiris, especially youth, crossing over to PoK for arms training, went largely unheard of.

A lot of kidnappings were taking place, especially of the government employees, a maximum number of them were Kashmiri Pandits, but no action was taken.

Threats were openly given in local newspapers, posters were pasted and hit-lists made, but the administration seemed lifeless. The then Governor Jagmohan had mentioned the situation to then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi through letters dated April 20, 1990.

“Need I remind you that from the beginning of 1988, I had started sending ‘Warning Signals’ to you about the gathering storm in Kashmir? But you and the power wielders around you had neither the time, nor the inclination, nor the vision, to see these signals. They were so clear, so pointed, that to ignore them was to commit sins of true historical proportions,” Jagmohan wrote in the letter.

His fear came true and the minorities and moderates had to bear the brunt even as Farooq Abdullah left the Valley for London soon after.

“Fifty per cent Kashmiri Pandits fled on January 19. It did not happen suddenly. Farooq Abdullah knows all. He has to answer,” said Ramesh Raina.

“Farooq Abdullah ran away to London while the Valley was burning. He was the founder member of Alfata, JKLF. While he was in chair, youth were freely transported to Pakistan through the LoC. How was it possible without his knowing?

“Why were terrorists being released from jail then? Why did he resign overnight and the next day the exodus happened? It was all planned because then all would have come to his head. So he resigned. But could the exodus have happened without a plot behind it,” he asked.

While Farooq Abdullah was in J&K, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the Home Minister at the Centre. His role as HM is also questioned by the community.

Surinder Kaul, the chief of Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora, said, “After we were forced to flee from Kashmir, we staged protests. I remember one meeting with then Home Minister Mufti Sayeed in 1990. All he had to say was ‘yes, this is not ok’.

“He had no answers to our questions. We told him, ‘why the local police and intelligence network had just vanished. Why was no one doing their work? Why was there no security’. But he just kept mum. That day I realised that the state and Central power system of our country had collapsed and no one was there to help us.”

“Farooq Abdullah has double standards. He always speaks one thing in Delhi and another in Kashmir. He never provided good governance. He protected the elite and never worked for the common people. To keep his fiefdom alive, he divided the communities. When Kashmiri Pandits were being killed, maimed, women were gang-raped, loot and arson had become the order of the day, where was he,” Kaul asked.

There have been times when Farooq Abdullah had borne the brunt of Kashmiri Pandits’ ire. In 2019, when he tried to meet a group of Kashmiri Pandits, who had come to Srinagar on a pilgrimage visit, he had to make a hastened retreat after slogans were raised against him.

Kashmiri Pandits feel that if Farooq Abdullah had taken strong steps, Kashmir would not have fallen to terrorism and the minorities would not have been tormented and forced out.

The community is seeking answers, and wants a judicial commission be instituted and Farooq Abdullah to be the first one to be investigated.

Crime

MP: Two minors stabbed during Ganesh procession in Indore; one dies

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Indore, Sep 15: A 16-year-old boy died, and another minor was critically injured after they were allegedly stabbed during a Ganesh festival procession in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place late Monday night in the Azad Nagar area when the two minors, who had come from Tejaji Nagar to participate in the procession, were dancing behind a DJ vehicle, police said.

The deceased was identified as Krishna Panwar, a resident of Asrawad Khurd, while his companion, Sahil, who was injured in the attack, was undergoing treatment in the ICU of MY Hospital, they said.

Azad Nagar police station in-charge Lokesh Bhadauria said the police received information from MY Hospital about the stabbing of the two boys.

“Krishna suffered a stab injury in his chest and died during treatment, while Sahil is undergoing treatment in the ICU. We have registered a murder case and are searching for the accused,” Bhadauria said.

According to police, more than nine DJ vehicles were moving through the area as part of the procession. Krishna and Sahil were dancing behind a DJ vehicle when an altercation allegedly broke out with a youth identified as Kushal alias Kunal.

The dispute escalated, and the accused allegedly attacked Krishna with a knife. When Sahil intervened, he too was stabbed, police said.

Both were rushed to MY Hospital in a critical condition, where Krishna succumbed to his injuries later in the night.

Bhadauria said one accused has been identified and police teams have been deployed to trace him.

“We are also examining the role of other persons who were present at the spot and are investigating whether anyone else was involved in the incident,” he said.

Police said a murder case has been registered, and further investigation is underway. More details are awaited. Meanwhile, the incident has led to tension in the area.

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Crime

Gurugram hit-and-run: Will law and order wake up only if biker dies, asks victim

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New Delhi, Sep 15: Gurugram biker Sia, who was hit by a car on the Golf Course Road last week, has questioned the law and order situation, asking whether authorities would act only after a biker is attacked and killed, while also raising questions about the restrictions imposed on motorists in the city, when the four-wheelers continue to engage in “rash driving”.

She urged authorities to take action against motorists who drive rashly.

Speaking to reporters, Sia said, “Until a biker gets hit and dies, will law and order not wake up? If you put so many restrictions on bikers in Gurugram, then you should also look at those driving four-wheelers. What are you doing about the people who are driving so rashly?”

“I don’t know when he first saw me because, look, I ride in my lane and watch out for myself. I don’t pay that much attention to which car is moving around me, who is inside or what is going on. The first thing was that he sped past very fast, right next to my bike. That is when I noticed him. I thought, ‘Okay, fine, it might have happened. He might not have seen me, or perhaps that person was in a hurry,'” she said.

“But if you have sped past that fast, then just keep going straight ahead, right? What sense does it make for you to stop ahead, make gestures at me, and then come from behind, hit me and run away? When he rolled down the windows of the car, I saw two people in the front,” she added.

“As far as I could tell, there were two people in the back as well. The car had completely tinted black windows, so I couldn’t see clearly. I couldn’t look with complete focus either because I was riding my bike,” Sia said.

She added that wearing protective riding gear helped prevent more serious injuries.

“I had my riding shoes on and my riding gloves, which have a feature that allows them to slide if you fall. If I hadn’t been wearing my riding shoes and gloves, then the way my hand hit the ground first, my shoulder or legs could have broken. We ride with some safety precautions, and that’s why,” she said.

Sia further said the incident had been widely discussed since Monday, with people expressing concern over the alleged conduct of the car driver.

“He hit a human being and left them on the road to die, and walked away. Even now, that person is roaming freely, giving soundbites to news reporters and presenting his defence. How is he getting so much time? Why isn’t the police arresting him?” she asked.

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National News

National Engineers’ Day: PM Modi pays tribute to M. Visvesvaraya, hails engineers as ‘Karmayogis’

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New Delhi, Sep 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tribute to legendary Indian engineer and statesman Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya on the occasion of National Engineers’ Day and lauded the contributions of engineers in building, innovating and creating solutions for a better tomorrow.

National Engineers’ Day is observed across India every year on September 15 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, one of the country’s foremost civil engineers and a celebrated statesman whose contribution to engineering and nation-building continues to be remembered.

Born on September 15, 1861, Visvesvaraya, also known by his initials M.V., is widely regarded as the ‘Father of Modern Mysore’. He played a significant role in the development of major public infrastructure projects and became an enduring symbol of engineering excellence in India.

Taking to X, PM Modi extended his greetings to engineers across the country and paid tribute to Visvesvaraya.

“Happy Engineers Day to all remarkable engineers, the people who build, innovate and provide solutions for a better tomorrow. Tributes to Sir M. Visvesvaraya, whose engineering genius and nation-building vision continue to inspire,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi also shared a video in which he highlighted the role of engineers in turning ideas and aspirations into tangible achievements and described them as ‘Karmayogis’ working towards the progress of the country.

“Engineers do not merely build machines; they are the Karmayogis who transform dreams into reality. I applaud and commend every engineer of India. India has been home to many such engineers who turned the unimaginable into the imaginable and presented feats that are hailed as marvels in the world of engineering,” he said.

In the video, the Prime Minister also recalled Visvesvaraya’s remarkable legacy and his contribution to India’s engineering heritage.

“In our proud heritage of great engineers, we were also blessed with a priceless gem whose works continue to astonish people even today — and that was Bharat Ratna Dr M. Visvesvaraya. In his honour and memory, September 15 is celebrated as Engineers’ Day. Following in his footsteps, the engineers of our nation have carved a distinct identity for themselves across the entire world. On this occasion, I respectfully salute all engineers and bow to their creative power of nation-building,” PM Modi added.

Visvesvaraya was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1955 in recognition of his monumental contributions to public projects, engineering and society.

He was instrumental in the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam in Mysore and also played a key role in designing and implementing complex flood protection systems.

The Government of India officially designated September 15 as National Engineers’ Day in 1968, in recognition of Visvesvaraya’s extraordinary contribution to engineering and nation-building.

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