Srinagar, Aug 09: National Conference on Friday commemorated the “sacrifices and 22-year long struggle” of ‘Sher-e-Kashmir’ Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah for the “dignity” of Jammu and Kashmir and its people, saying that August 09, 1953, was a “black day” in the history of J&K.
According to a party statement issued here, the NC Additional General Secretary, Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal sai, “This was the day when Prime Minister of J&K Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was arrested after his popular government was illegally dismissed under a deep-rooted political intrigue to erode the special status of the State. After the illegal overthrow of the popular National Conference Government, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was taken to Udhampur and imprisoned in Tara Niwas Palace in the scorching heat of summer while Bakshi Ghulam Muhammad was illegally and unconstitutionally sworn in as the new Prime Minister of the State.”
He said August 09, 1953, was a day when a “prolonged constitutional and political assault” was launched on the status of J&K. “Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was an epitome of selfless nationalism, patriotism and sacrifices for the cause of his nation’s dignity,” he said.
Dr Kamal added, “Sheikh Sahib chose imprisonment over toeing Delhi’s line at a time when New Delhi wanted to erode Article 370 and put in place a pliant puppet in Srinagar. The unconstitutional and illegal arrest of a Prime Minister inflicted a very deep wound on the psyche of Kashmiris, a wound that remains sore to this very day. Had this coup not taken place in 1953, Kashmir would not have witnessed the haunting turmoil and loss of lives that it did – a political turmoil it continues to suffer and reel under.”
He said that to this day, the National Conference continues to suffer from “sub-intrigues of this main political intrigue”. “Back then, it was Bakshi and his cronies and today we have many like him who have taken over the role,” the NC leader said, adding, “It was time to remain vigilant and cautious as history has taught us bitter lessons of collaborators from within hatching conspiracies against the State.”
