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| Sheikh Abdullah's politically legacy: divisive politics | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 5: Former chief minister late Sheikh Abdullah whose birth anniversary was observed with much fanfare by the NC conference headed state government and by the party itself has one great political trait: divisive poltics.
The person who is being called as Sher-i-Kashmir by the party laid seeds of agitational politics and polarization of Jammu and Kashmir regions. Just after Sheikh Abdullah had assumed office, Jammu was up in flames. An agitation had started in the entire Jammu region but Sheikh, who didn't hold any feeling for this region except indifference, didn't do much to diffuse the situation but used it to further his image as pro-Kashmiri leader.
It was Sheikh also who had instigated and propagated pro-Pakistan feelings in the valley. His trusted lieutenant Mirza Afzal Beigh would always raise green handkerchief-symbolising green flag of Pakistan- to further this feeling just to further the politically standing of NC in the valley by creating anti-India image/
But the chief minster Omar Abdullah in praising his grand father: " Public cause remained always dearest to Sheikh Sahib and he spent his life to seek wellbeing, dignity and prosperity for the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh irrespective of any consideration of creed, caste, region or religion."
Going by Omar's statement, such was the cause of Jammu dear to him that Jammu was once again on boil in '80s demanding a separate agriculture college in Jammu. It was such a genuine demand but 'holding Jammu close to him' he ignored it as a result that Jammu reverberated with anti-Sheikh slogans.
It was because of these policies of the Sheikh Abdullah, who strangely is called Sher(Lion)- that he deliberately denied state subjects to thousands of people who migrated to Jammu from Pakistan.
It was in line with his vision of Naya Kashmir- that he played a crucial hand that parts of Poonch annexed by Pakistan are not given back so that hegemony of Kashmir is not challenged.
The dream of equitable development of Sheikh Abdullah could be judged from the fact that it was during his tenure that feeling of discrimination germinated in Jammu but he also tried to change the politically contour of Rajouri, Poonch and Doda district by wooing one particular community and pitching it against the other.
It was in line his this approach that demand for constructing roads connecting two regions of the State started, which though was successfully but failed to fulfill the political game plan of NC.
Summing up the political role of Sheikh Abdullah, PDP leader Muzaffar Beigh had said: " Sheikh Sahib surrendered the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir guaranteed under the Instrument of Accession in 1950, 1952 and 1975. In 1975, when Sheikh Abdullah assumed power, he surrendered all the left out autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir to the government of India."
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