Srinagar, Sep 07: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Thursday paid glowing tributes to the “legendary” leader and party’s founder ‘Sher-e-Kashmir’ Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his 41st death anniversary and termed him a man of iron determination.
As per a party statement, the death anniversary would be observed as the day of unity.
While paying rich tributes to Sheikh Abdullah, the party’s rank and file called him “a father figure and political colossus who helped change Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh from a feudal and colonial society to a free, democratic and secular one”.
“An inspiring political stalwart, the functionaries said that throughout his political career, Sher-e-Kashmir symbolised the aspirations of the Kashmiri people as no single individual could have even dreamt of doing,” the NC said in the statement, adding, “Although rooted in Kashmir, he had attained a national standing with his name becoming synonymous in the minds of countrymen with the socialism, humanism, pluralism, and democracy.”
His political direction to the state in the shape of the ‘Naya Kashmir’ manifesto had an unmistakably socialistic stamp that guaranteed freedom of press, freedom of assembly and meetings, the party said. “The vision of Late Abdullah, the functionaries held espoused to provide a reasonable standard of living for all people in the state irrespective of their caste, creed, religion and region. The basic agricultural and economic plan would be the abolition of landlordism, land to tiller and people’s control over the resources of the state.”
It added, “The spirit of secularism and tolerance possessed by Late Abdullah was the cumulative effect of the environment which generation after generation has fine-tuned the psyche of Kashmiris, Sheikh sahib was not any different, he also exhibited the spirit of tolerance, mutual respect and camaraderie towards all sects and creeds. A mass movement organizer, Abdullah’s struggle was never aimed to alleviate the suffering of particular followers of a faith.”
“He worked tirelessly and suffered incarcerations throughout for the total redemption of the people in Jammu and Kashmir from abject poverty. He gave a new lease of life to the fear paralysed people of all the regions of J&K. 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,” the NC said.
