A day after a legislator was roughed up by a group of ruling BJP members in Jammu & Kashmir Assembly, a resolution was unanimously adopted on Friday to reiterate faith in secularism, pluralism and tolerance. Opposition leader Omar Abdullah proposed the resolution during the Zero Hour, which was appreciated and endorsed by Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.
Abdullah said the ugly scenes created in the Assembly on Thursday were being discussed globally but they did not represent the true picture of Jammu & Kashmir. He was referring to manhandling of Independent legislator Sheikh Abdur Rashid by a group of BJP legislators in the Assembly. Rashid had hosted a beef party at legislators’ hostel that apparently provoked the BJP legislators.
“The true picture of Kashmir depicts communal harmony and religious tolerance,” Omar said recalling the turbulent period of the Partition when Mahatma Gandhi saw a ray of hope in Kashmir alone. “The people of Kashmir rose up with fake guns to tackle raiders and shouted slogans of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian unity,” he said. “But now it seems that a conspiracy has been hatched to harm this brotherhood and amity,” Abdullah said.
He said extremists and extremist thought should find no place in Jammu &Kashmir. Chief Minister appreciated Abdullah’s idea saying there was no place for hate mongering and extremism in any civilised society.
He said the message of inclusiveness preached by great leaders must not get eclipsed by the action of those who create panic leading to insecurity amongst the minorities of the country. “We are on the crossroads of history and have to again become torch-bearers of secularism, pluralism and tolerance in the country,” he said, while reminding people of the words of Mahatma Gandhi, who saw a ray of hope in Kashmir when the entire county was burning in a communal frenzy that led to partition in 1947.
He supported Abdullah’s resolution which was read out by Speaker Kavinder Gupta. “This House unanimously resolves to reiterate the firm and unshakable faith of the people of Jammu & Kashmir in its age-old tradition of secularism, pluralism and tolerance. This House as the representative body of the will of the people of Jammu & Kashmir reasserts the need for strengthening further the bonds of brotherhood and fortify the values that have distinguished Jammu & Kashmir in the entire Sub-Continent in the most trying circumstances that led the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, to see a ray of light from here. This House further urges leadership at the national level across the party lines and seeks the support of the people throughout the country in creating an environment of peace and harmony so that all sections of the society become real stakeholders in the idea of India”.
Mufti said much before partition people in jammu and Kashmir under the leadership of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah had decided to align with India even as Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the most popular leader of Muslims at that time. He said the transition of Muslim Conference into National Conference in 1938 was the turning point in the state’s history. Mufti Sayeed praised former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for bringing back Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah that changed the environment of the state. He said when Mohammad Ali Jinnah came to Kashmir, the whole of J&K stood up and conveyed to him that their path was different. “After Sheikh Saab assumed power, the State saw good governance and transparency and a space was created for leaders like me and Tarigami,” he said, while stressing upon taking forward the message of inclusiveness.
Asking people to endorse country’s rich diversity, the Chief Minister said if India wanted to become a leading world power, it would have to win the hearts and minds of the minorities, particularly Muslims, having a population of 17 crore. He said the unity and integrity of India will be shaken if its people fight in the name of religion. “The Muslims of the country cannot be ignored. They have supported different leaders like VP Singh, Mulayam Singh and others from various political parties and need to be given a sense of security,” he stressed.
Interestingly, Engineer Rashid was not in the House when the resolution was adopted. He led a group of his supporters and staged sit-in at the joint entrance of civil secretariat and legislature complex seeking explanation from the Government over “scuttling the Bill aimed at abrogation of a law that ban sale and possession of beef in J&K”. “They (Government) have not explained the reasons in the Assembly. let them come out and explain it to me here,” he told reporters while blocking the entrance.
Rashid was later whisked away by police. He said he was taken to his residence in the afternoon where two Dy SPs told him that he cannot move out.
The House proceedings continued peacefully with Opposition National Conference (NC) and Congress members fully involved in the routine business of the house.