FAROOQ ABDULLAH : THE POLITICIAN YOU KNOW THE VILLAIN YOU DON'T

Farooq Abdullah was the Chief Minister from November 7, 1986 to January 18, 1990. It was this period which saw Kashmir rise in Islamic extremism.

In February 1986, massive communal attacks occurred in South Kashmir. Muslim mobs plundered or destroyed the properties and temples of Kashmiri Pandits.

Ghulam Mohammad Shah, the brother-in-law of Farooq Abdullah, was the Chief Minister then. He failed to curb the violence. His government was dismissed in March 1986 by the then Governor Jagmohan. It was reported that Mufti Sayeed, then a Congress leader, had instigated the violence as he was keen to be the Chief Minister and replace Shah.

Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister then who later gave Mufti Sayeed a seat in the Rajya Sabha and also made him a Union Minister. In November 1986, after months of hectic parleys, Rajiv Gandhi and Farooq Abdullah signed an accord and the latter was reinstated as the Chief Minister.

It was this period that saw the build up to the Kashmiri Hindu Genocide.

The period  of 1986-1989  is significant in the history of Kashmir, which is often ignored. The exodus did not happen overnight. There was full planning behind this. Abdullah deceived the nation with this accord. Some say he was incompetent and he didn't have any control, while Kashmiri Pandits say that he was totally involved, knew everything and let things build up.

Farooq Abdullah  ran away to London when Kashmir was burning and a full-blown genocide of Pandits was taking place.

Former Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir, Shesh Paul Vaid, tweeted on March 16 : “Many people in the country do not know this #KashmirFiles fact : first batch of ISI trained were arrested by J&K Police but ill-thought political decisions had them released and the same terrorists later on led the many terrorist organisations in J&K."

Vaid was the DGP of J&K from December 31, 2016 till September 6, 2018. He also added in his tweet : "Some of the notorious names: Mohammed Afzal Sheikh of Trehgam Rafiq Ahmed Ahangar Mohammad Ayub Najar Farooq Ahmed Ganai Ghulam Mohammed Gujri Farooq Ahmed Malik Nazir Ahmed Sheikh Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Teli. Could this have been possible w/o the knowledge of the Union Govt of 1989?"

The fact that the intelligence agencies had repeatedly been alerting about the hordes of Kashmiris, especially youth, crossing over to PoK for arms training, went largely unheard of.

Kidnappings were taking place, especially of the government employees, a maximum number of them were Kashmiri Pandits, but no action was taken.

Threats were openly given in local newspapers, posters were pasted and hit-lists made, but the administration seemed lifeless. The then Governor Jagmohan had mentioned the situation to then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi through letters dated April 20, 1990.

“Need I remind you that from the beginning of 1988, I had started sending 'Warnings' to you about the gathering storm in Kashmir? But you and the power wielders around you had neither the time, nor the inclination, nor the vision, to see these signals. They were so clear, so pointed, that to ignore them was to commit sins of true historical proportions," Jagmohan wrote in the letter.

His apprehensions came true and the Kashmiri Hindus had to bear the brunt even as Farooq Abdullah left the Valley for London soon after.

"Fifty per cent Kashmiri Pandits fled on January 19. It did not happen suddenly. Unfortunately, until the release of the Vivek Agnihotri film, The Kashmir Files, Farooq Abdullah was never properly questioned over the genocide.

"Farooq Abdullah was the founder member of Alfata, JKLF. While he was in chair, muslim youth were freely transported to Pakistan through the LoC. How was it possible without his knowing?

Why the local police and intelligence network had just vanished. Why was no one doing their work? Why was there no security'. When it came to protect the Kashmiri Hindus the state and Central power system of our country had collapsed.

"Farooq Abdullah has always been the 'king of double standards'. He always speaks one thing in Delhi and another in Kashmir. He never provided good governance. He protected the elite and never worked for the common people. To keep his fiefdom alive, he divided the communities. When Kashmiri Pandits were being killed, maimed, women were gang-raped, loot and arson had become the order of the day, he was having a great time in London.

Kashmiri Pandits feel that if Farooq Abdullah had taken strong steps, Kashmir would not have fallen to terrorism and the minorities would not have been tormented and forced out.

The Right-to-Justice movement will only succeed when a judicial commision is set up to investigate the Kashmiri Hindu Massacre and Farooq Abdullah is questioned.

 

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