| Official DoB-December 5, 1904, School records- March 2, 1902, Biographer- January 29, 1903 | | Controversy on Sheikh's DoB deepens | | ET Report
SRINAGAR, Dec 6: The controversy over the date of birth of Sher-e-Kashmir, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah deepens with every passing day. The official date of birth is December 5, 1905 and happens to be a holiday in Jammu and Kashmir. The National Conference says that Baba-e-Quom (father of nation) was born on December 5, 1905 at Soura. This claim has been belied by the school records which state that "Abdullah Sheikh of Soura was born on March 2, 1902."
However, Sheikh Abdullah's biographer MY Taing told local English daily that the date of birth according to family sources was January 29, 1903.
Taing said the research for Sheikh Abdullah's biography; Aatish-e-Chinar took him to his (Sheikh Abdullah's) elder brother Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din. "He did not cooperate at first saying you are glorifying him and make him a Prophet. However, after some coaxing he said the date of birth coincided with the annual urs of Syed Jaffar Sahib."
After some mathematical calculations, Taing believes the actual date of birth is January 29, 1903.
Taing also narrated the background of his quest for the actual date of birth. "One day I told Sheikh Sahib that his date of birth was needed for the book. Both of us agreed that being an important book, it must carry the actual date of birth which could not be ascertained then. So we decided to float the book without his date of birth," he said.
Taing has also written an article on the controversy in Late Shamim Ahmad Shamim's Aayina. With nobody interested in setting records right, the future generations would never know the exact date of birth of a leader who monopolized state politics for 50 years. |
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