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| The essential 'Doctor Saheb' is reborn! | | Retaining heartthrob upsleeves, Farooq positions himself politically | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Nov 22
Singing Ghazals, sipping coffee with young and upmarket party colleagues at the public cafes, singling out odd faces in the crowds, the National Conference patriarch is back in his element but this time he seems to have positioned himself "political appropriately".
After the fall of National Conference from the essential grace it boasted for decades and demitting the office of Chief Minister in October 2002, Dr Farooq Abbdullah had no more remained the same flamboyant "Doctor Sa'ab" even the worst of critics would love to catch glimpse of. He disappeared from the public scene. Son Omar, after loosing his own seat wore a sullen face. And people thought that Abdullah story was over.
Not only the political analysts but even the party activists too believed that the National Conference is deep is down and out in the morass. Yes it was badly down but Farooq, to the surprise of all those tracking them, is once again wearing the essential charisma without which he has been quite incomplete. He is now seeking to tell his people that neither he nor the party is out thought it was down.
He is back in the form. Silencing the critics and proving the "Farooq watchers" wrong he is acquiring the center stage. The other day he took away the mic from a Ghazal singer at a party with a selective guest list and occupied the dais. The guests –scribes –thought it would make some statement. But Farooq had something else to say. "Teri Aankhon Mein Hamne Kya Dekha…". The soothe in his voice and grip on the couplets and Ghazal after Ghazal he not only left the guests spell bound but also the professional singer running for the alternative.
This morning one could have seen him at the Jammu University's coffee shop sipping the cappuccino with two relatively young but dynamic and upmarket party leaders. It was not the rare spectacle seen the coffee shop suggesting Farooq's bouncing back. In fact underlining the change Farooq has undergone was hidden in the choice of company he had at the coffee shop.
When people divide National Conference in different parts with two essential portions cut across Farooq and Omar, his companions at Coffee shop are described as Omar's men. However, Farooq's taking them along signifies that the team is taking shape. Whether they were discussing cricket or the party's media policy is immaterial, the trend shows that the vitals are being consolidated without wasting further energy.
His coming back to the element is quite evident. But what is more significant about Farooq's bouncing back is political positioning. Once described as New Delhi's manager in Kashmir, he did quite a good job to his own image and that of party when he questioned Jammu and Kashmir's accession to the Union of India. Ever since press conferences and sporadic protest demonstrations are being held against him in the City. Those took his anti-India remark off the cuff were sadly mistaken. He known Jammu City does not vote for NC and protests against him in Jammu pay him well in the Valley. Thus Farooq is back with father's essential political acumen. |
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