Noor UL Shahbaz
From North Kashmir to South Kashmir all around the political movement has taken a new shape since Lok Sabha Elections held in May 2024. In a significant move Jammu & Kashmir recorded highest voter turnout in 35 years as per Election Commission of India. One of the important development in Political scenario of J&K as I witnessed is a two time elected MLA contested Lok Sabha election from Tihar Jail. Abdul Rashid Sheikh commonly known as Er. Rashid among masses contested from North Kashmir Baramulla Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate (Awami Itihaad Party which is not yet recognised by ECI after taken a huge vote margin of approx Five Lacs), interestingly former Chief Minister and External Affairs Minister of Union of India Omar Abdullah was also a contesting candidate. Omar Abdullah accepted the defeat against Er. Rashid at the time when only 60% votes were counted because of the reason that Er. Rashid was leading from a herculean margin. Post announcement of election results Omar Abdullah termed his defeat from North Kashmir “slap on his face”.
Such a defeat for the opposition parties like National Conference, People’s Democratic Party and People’s Conference led by Umar Abdullah – Faroo Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Sajad Gani Lone from North Kashmir will be remembered all the times in future rather we can say it will be engraved in history for the reason that the contesting candidate was lodged in Tihar Jail and common people contested election for themselves and were declared as winners hence in the pure terminology can be called as “government of the people, by the people and for the people”. The slogan “Jail ka Badla Vote Sai” became a mass slogan or we can say alike patriotic slogan for people of North Kashmir.
What forced the common masses from North Kashmir to support the name Er. Rashid is his track record of eleven years from 2008 till 2019 but we cannot ignore his pre-2008 time period. His political engineering gained public acceptance and acknowledgement, people all across Jammu and Kashmir gradually recognised Er. Rashid as an alternate to the traditional political system of Jammu & Kashmir. He as a representative @ MLA did not detached himself from the people of his Constituency more importantly he proved himself to be the best sympathizer for people living in Constituencies of other elected MLA’s. His work culture at all fronts be it within the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly or outside has been applauded by people all across. He raised issues of common masses at each and every front and took the lead to fight strongly for the attainment of basic rights of people cutting across caste, creed and religion. People of Jammu & Kashmir has always been a victim and violation of human rights was not a new thing, Er. Rashid raised the voice at every nook and corner by his writings, seminars more importantly protesting against the violation on the roads of each and every district of Jammu and Kashmir. The opposition always termed it as a drama but time is proving it that he has attained a place in the hearts of people including children, youth age old men and women. Whenever or wherever any untoward incident happened in Jammu & Kashmir Er. Rashid played a role as “messiah _ a true Leader”. Expectations beyond the geographical constituencies gained momentum and he proved his metal and the results of Lok Sabha seat from North Kashmir took rest in his lap and he termed it “victory of the people”. Meaning thereby he engineered his political journey from a different perspective which shocked all the opposition. He is leading now the mass movement we can say in other terms by organising gatherings and delivering public speeches of a different nature.
The post 2019 August situation in Kashmir changed the political scenario all together. Dissolution of Legislative Assembly followed by abrogation of special status and imposition of Governor rule, then President rule and lastly demotion from State to Union Territory headed by Lieutenant Governor. Er. Rashid since August 2019 is in Tihar Jail and after a long gap of over 5 years got an interim bail for a period of 23 days. Election Commission of India has announced Assembly elections for the current UT which were earlier held in 2014 for the same territory as the then State of Jammu & Kashmir (10 years gap). Jailed Er. Rashid the winning candidate of Lok Sabha seat from North Kashmir has for the first time announced candidates all across the valley for the Assembly elections. Opposition parties like BJP, NC, PDP, PC are yet to come out of the quandary that has been caused by the people of North Kashmir in the recent Lok Sabha polls. The outburst of lava (policies of traditional political parties, dictations from centre etc) shown against the system working since 78 years and the mass recognition of Er. Rashid as an alternate will strongly affect the Assembly elections. Er. Rashid got temporary bail on 12th September and all the speculations and concocted stories of the opposition got buried when Er. Rashid outside the Tihar gate said “I am committed to strive and struggle for the basic rights of my people including resolvement of Kashmir issue by a peaceful means as per the aspirations of people of Jammu & Kashmir ” at his first appearance after 5 years. That moment was “revolutionizing the movement” Kashmiris aspire, excitement on faces of Kashmiri people all over, the statement was as goosebumps and boosted up the morale of Kashmir people. Then after the statements on the live video from his official face book page on evening of 12th September and Delina Baramulla public appearance on the next day added fuel to the fire which has spread to whole of Kashmir from North to South and Central Kashmir.
Jailed MP Er. Rashid is now a hope and an alternate against the system working since 78 years from New Delhi to Jammu & Kashmir. People aspire him as the Chief Minister but he states that our collective fight is far more than to achieve this seat. In a recent move before first phase of voting in South Kashmir on 18th September Awami Itihaad Party led by Er. Rashid and Jammat-e-Islami (JEI) entered into a seat sharing alliance that can be termed as a staunch pro-publico move as Jamaat has paid exemplary socio-political and educational services to the people all across the valley. I can’t generalise the above content and that is the underlying spirit or I can say tragedy due to which this nation is yet to free themselves from the clutches of!!!
Noor UL Shahbaz (M.A, LL.M [Gold Medalist]),
Lecturer in Law & Former Acting Principal at Sopore Law College
