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Sheikh Abdullah's 30th death anniversary passes almost unnoticed
Saturday September 08, 2012 03:50:56 PM,
Sheikh Qayoom,
IANS
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Srinagar: On his 30th
death anniversary Saturday, few people came to pay homage to
Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, who led the struggle against Maharaja Hari Singh and championed self-rule. It was difficult to remember
that there was a time when people waited for hours together to
catch a mere glimpse of the man, once hailed as the Lion of
Kashmir.
Over four dozen security vehicles dotted the road outside the
mausoleum of the National Conference (NC) founder on the banks of
the Dal Lake in Hazratbal area of the city Saturday morning.
The Sheikh's son, union minister Farooq Abdullah, and grandson,
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accompanied by
members of his council of ministers, paid homage to the founder of
the NC who once ruled the hearts and minds of millions of
Kashmiris.
Thirty years ago, a record over half million mourners joined the
funeral procession, which had taken 16 hours to cover a distance
of eight kilometres.
In 1982, for the first time, both the president and the prime
minister broke protocol to join mourners. A sea of weeping and
wailing Kashmiris carried their beloved leader to his final
resting place.
It is difficult to believe the magic of the late Sheikh has now
dimmed.
Life across the Valley continued normally Saturday, and most
locals remained oblivious to the death anniversary of the man
credited with awakening the masses against autocratic rule and
ushering in landmark agrarian reforms.
Under the Sheikh's leadership, Jammu and Kashmir became the first
state in India to undertake historic land reforms, giving
ownership rights to tillers and ending absentee landlordism in the
state in the 1950s.
"The magic of the late Sheikh might have passed, but his
contribution to the awakening of Kashmiri masses cannot be wished
away. Despite the fact that his legend has been compromised over
the years, the fact remains that he is still the reference point
on Kashmir politics," said Ghulam Nabi, 72, who passed by the
mausoleum of the leader Saturday and saw the tight ring of
security around it, as banners of the ruling NC flew.
The heavy presence of VVIPs was all there was to show that it was
an anniversary, and that a great leader lay buried here.
(Sheikh Qayoom can be contacted at sheikh.abdul@ians.in)
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