Political vendetta, NC style!

SYED ALI SAFVI

SRINAGAR, May 21: They say time heals all wound. But some wounds never heal! Same is true with National Conference (NC) leadership. Senior NC leader and minister for rural development, Ali Mohammad Sagar, today paid rich tributes to late Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq on his 20th death anniversary, but forgot to utter a word about People’s Conference founder and slain separatist leader, Abdul Ghani Lone, whose death anniversary was also observed today.

It seems the NC leadership has not forgotten the anti-NC role Lone played during his stint as member of legislative assembly. Did Sagar forget to mention Lone, or was it a part of political vendetta, NC style!
Lone, was a bitter rival of NC founder, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, and as a legislator, he would always raise his voice against NC’s policies. He gave a tough time to Sheikh from the day of signing of the 1975 Indira-Sheikh accord, which brought Sheikh back to power in the state. Owing to his aggressive political nature, he was always disliked by NC top brass.

Lone would often engage in verbal dual with NC leaders in the legislative assembly and sometimes he was marshaled out of the assembly hall.

In 1977 polls, when NC managed almost a clean sweep in J&K, Lone won his seat comfortably. He was a face of north Kashmir and his People’s Conference had strong pockets of influence in Kupwara, the home district of the slain separatist leader.

After winning 1977 election, Lone emerged as a strong opponent of NC’s policies and programmes. He dared to challenge the tallest leader of Kashmir, Sheikh Abdullah, in the legislative assembly and outside it. A courageous person by nature, Lone once had a verbal fight with Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah on the floor of the House.

It seems the wounds he inflicted on NC have not yet fully healed. That’s perhaps the reason that NC leaders, while paying tribute to Moulvi Farooq on his death anniversary, preferred not to utter a word about Lone.

Paying tributes to late Moulvi Farooq, Sagar said throughout his life the late Farooq fought tirelessly for the rights of people. He said the Mirwaiz family had played pivotal role in the spread of religious and moral education in Srinagar city.

Addressing a function here today, he said Moulvi Farooq’s monumental role in burying the Sher-Bakra divide could never be forgotten. He said the late Mirwaiz always people’s interests close to his heart and that Sheikh Abdullah had great regard for him. Later, the meeting prayed for solace to his soul.