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| Is Mustafa Kamal playing political pranks? | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 21: Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, senior leader of National Conference, is again in news. His views on political history could have been ignored had he not been the brother of National Conference President, Dr Farooq Abdullah, and uncle of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. Hence whenever he opens his mouth one becomes suspicious of Mustafa's real intentions.
One wishes to know whether Mustafa speaks on behalf of Dr Abdullah or on behalf of Omar Abdullah or voices his frustration over his inability to get a ministerial "gadi." Whatever his aim is but one thing is clear that his utterances, even if they carry some sense, further widen the gap between the Congress and the National Conference, which for practical terms share power in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mustafa Kamal has said that the 1975 Accord between Sheikh Abdullah and Indira Gandhi was incomplete because five main issues, including restoration of the nomenclature of Sadr-i-Riyasat for the Governor and Prime Minister in place of the Chief Minister, and the one pertaining to keeping Jammu and Kashmir state out of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, Election Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General.
Here Mustafa has lost sight of the role his father had played while accepting the Accord. If Sheikh Abdullah was really interested in the restortion of pre-1953 status to the state he should not have agreed to head the state Government and that too with the support of the Congress.
Those who were close to the political quarters at the time of formulating the Accord by the Sheikh's chief Lieutant, Mirza Afzal Beg, and Indira Gandhi's emissay, G. Parthasarthy are of the opinion that Sheikh Abdullah had raised his voice while demanding various political concessions. When he seemed to be adamant Indira Gandhi had decided to delay finalising the agreement with Sheikh Abdullah.
However, Indira's trusted men suggested to her that she should simply convince Sheikh Abdullah that his demands could be given a thought at a later stage and that too after he assumed his office as Chief Minister. Indira had been told by his trusted people that Sheikh Abdullah would forget about his demand for restoration of pre-1953 constitutional status the moment he regained power after 22 years' of political wilderness.
And this is what happened. Between 1975 and 1977 Sheikh Abdullah hardly reraised his demand for restoration of greater autonomy with the vigour for which he was known. Hence Mustafa Kamal should blame his father and not the Congress for having allowed to keep the Indira-Sheikh Accord of 1975 incomplete. Mustafa needs to learn that everything is fair not only in love but in lust for power too.
Yes, Mustafa Kamal is correct when he wishes to question the political wisdom of the Congress which withdrew its support to the Government headed by Sheikh Abdullah when everything had been settled between the two parties at the time of the implementation of the Accord.
In fact Sheikh Abdullah had initiated measures, soon after he regained power in 1975, for toning up the state administrative set up. His role between 1975 and 1977 is remembered for his drive against corruption which he launched by registering cases against some engineers and by resorting to forcible retirement of those officials who were known to be corrupt.
Hence there was no immediate reason or pressing factor for the Congress to withdraw its support to Sheikh Abdullah. Only one factor had motivated the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir to withdraw its support to the Sheikh led Government. And this factor was eagerness on the part of leaders of the state unit of the Congress to atleast install a Congress led Government in Jammu and Kashmir when the party had lost power in the centre.
However, Sheikh Abdullah frustrated the Congress designs on grabbing power when his recommendation, made to the then Governor, L.K. Jha, on placing the state under the Governor's rule was accepted by Jha. And Mustafa should thank the Congress for providing an opportunity to Sheikh Abdullah to win a thumping majority in the Assembly in the 1977 elections after mauling the Congress and the Janata Party.
Is the latest gossip from Mustafa a part of his plan to trigger severe conflict between the Congress and the National Conference or part of his designs to rewrite wrongly the political history of the state or it is the outcome of his urge to regain power? Atleast in the interest of political stability in Jammu and Kashmir Mustafa needs to avoid needling the Congress.
If he is not bridled by his elder brother or by his nephew it can be construed that both Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah wish to create a situation which could allow the National Conference to run the Government on its own after getting support from seven expelled BJP MLAs and other independent legislators. |
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