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| In Vakil's demise NC has lost a decent politician | | | M.L. Kak
Jammu, July 11: If not anything else the National Conference has lost a leader, Abdul Ahad Vakil, who was essentially a gentleman. He was a politician but with a clean image devoid of deceit and indecency.
I had met, for the first time, Vakil during the crucial Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state. He was the NC candidate for the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency. I was impressed by him because of the way he would interact with his party workers and voters in the constituency. He was by profession a lawyer but by temperament a seasoned politician.
I remember he did not display any panic because a senior Jamait-e-Islami leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was pitted against him as an independent candidate. During his pre-poll campaign I have never seen him losing either his cool or wearing any frown on his face.
It was his decency and support from the Kashmir's tallest political leader, Sheikh Abdullah, that Vakil made to the Lok Sabha by defeating the otherwise redoubtable Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Vakil polled over 1.47 lakh votes against one lakh votes polled by Geelani. However, Geelani defeated Vakil in 1987 Assembly election from Sopore constituency. And the same Vakil polled over 14,000 votes from Sopore in 1996 when his rivals could not poll more than 1700 to 2800 votes. Unfortunately, he lost the election from Sopore in 2002 against a congress candidate.
Whether as member parliament or the speaker of the Assembly or as minister Abdul Ahad Vakil had remained highly accessible to people, to party workers. He was really a pragmatic political leader who had relish for tete-a-tete.
Abdul Ahad Vakil was one among a few old guards in the NC who had a deep sense of humour. And Vakil utilized this sense of humour as minister and as speaker of the Assembly. One day a nominated member of the NC, Bimla Luthra, wanted improvement in the power distribution system in Jammu city and in this connection she wanted the minister to supply poles. Vakil's pun made members in the House to give a loud laugh. He told the power Minister "Minister Bimla Luthra wants a pole please supply one to her" and there was a roar of laughter in the House.
Unlike most of the NC leaders Vakil would spend some time on reading books and newspapers and magazines. This he would do to equip him with ideas and tales which he could use as speaker of the Assembly or as minister. Well he deserves credit for having seen to it that daily Assembly proceedings were carried out without disruptions and without unruly scenes. And if there is any other leader who has emulated this habit from Vakil is Mohd. Shafi Uri. Mohd. Shafi is also a voracious reader.
By temperament Vakil was a soft minded leader but he would not miss bringing back order in the House. He had a commanding voice and those who knew him did not treat him a political light weight because of a meaningful smile on his face.
For several years Sheikh Abdullah reposed trust in him and that was the reason that Vakil was fielded as the NC candidate from Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in 1977 when parts of the state had been gripped by Janata Party wave. It was the Janata Party that had defeated the Congress in 1977 Lok Sabha poll and it was during this year that the Congress had withdrawn its support to Sheikh Abdullah led Government. Sheikh Abdullah had regained power, after being in political wilderness for 22 years, under the Sheikh-Indira Accord of 1975. But within less than two years the Congress withdrew its support to the Sheikh which led to early Assembly election.
Abdul Ahad Vakil cannot be grouped with the rowdy element in the National Conference. A man of clean habits, clean ideas who would not nurse any anger or hatred even against his political rivals. If one finds any proximity between Vakil and Sheikh Abdullah and between Farooq Abdullah and Vakil it has been sound dress sense. I have seen Vakil attending party conventions or workers' meetings with a three piece suit and a tie. What kept him away from his party colleagues was his habit of wearing polished shoes and chappals.
He was one among a few NC leaders in the north who cemented the base of the party which helped the NC to face the onslaughts from the Jamait-e-Islami and other extremists. It may not be easy for the NC to fill the void that has been created by the demise of Abdul Ahad Vakil. |
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