Zindagi Mein Tu Raha Bandha Nawaz
Gamgusar, Mehrban wa Charasaaz
Today marks the 17th death anniversary of former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Founder President of the J&K Awami National Conference, Late Khawaja Ghulam Mohammad Shah. A congregational Fateh Khawani will be observed at the Mazar of the late leader at Chattabal, Srinagar, on January 6, followed by a function at the party headquarters.
A lifelong political lieutenant of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, a witness to the turbulent history of Kashmir and a key contributor to its political evolution for more than five decades, Late G.M. Shah (Buchh) was born on July 20, 1920, at Chattabal, Srinagar.
Shah Sahib joined the Muslim Conference as Captain of Young Volunteers at the tender age of 13 in 1935. A law graduate from Aligarh Muslim University, he later earned a fellowship under a United Nations programme from the London School of Economics. He married Khalida Abdullah, the eldest daughter of Sher-e-Kashmir, in 1948. He proved his administrative acumen as Controller of Supplies from 1947 to 1953 under Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s first emergency administration and was arrested alongside his leader during the midnight coup of August 9, 1953, when democracy was trampled upon in Kashmir.
G.M. Shah was a practising Muslim who believed deeply in secularism, democracy and equality. Regarded as one of the most respected and capable administrators the State has produced, he served as General Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Plebiscite Front, displaying remarkable organisational strength under severe political circumstances. He stood shoulder to shoulder with his leader in the struggle for the dignity of the masses from 1935 until his last breath and spent nearly 15 years of his life behind bars and under detention alongside Sher-e-Kashmir.
From 1975 to 1982, he held charge of several key ministries in Sher-e-Kashmir’s government and emerged as one of the most efficient and effective members of the cabinet. As Minister for Food and Supplies, Transport, Works and Power, he discharged his responsibilities with distinction, leaving behind a legacy of landmark achievements.
As Chief Minister from 1984 to 1986, Shah Sahib carried out his duties with utmost dedication and success. This period is widely regarded as one of the golden phases in the administrative history of the State. A firm believer in Kashmiriyat, he ensured that no blood was shed on the streets of Kashmir during his tenure. He chose to sacrifice his chair rather than allow any encroachment on the constitutional rights of the State or run his government at the dictates of New Delhi. His refusal to share power with the Congress by including two of its members in his cabinet ultimately led to political instability, the consequences of which remain part of history. He exemplified integrity, upright character and moral courage, for which people across the State continue to remember him with reverence.
A versatile nation-builder, Late G.M. Shah completed all major developmental projects envisioned by Sher-e-Kashmir during his tenure as Minister for Works and Power, many in record time. These included the Srinagar and Jammu National Highway bypasses, New Tawi Bridge Jammu, Bagh-i-Bahu Complex Jammu, SKIMS Soura, LD Hospital Srinagar, Sports Complex Srinagar, Foreshore Road, High Court and Assembly Complex Srinagar, extensive road connectivity across the State, Sher-e-Kashmir Convention Complex, Ravi-Tawi Irrigation Project Jammu, residential colonies at Gujjarnagar, Janipora, Sidhra and Bemina and the conceptualisation of micro and mini hydel projects. For the National Conference, he facilitated the publication of Urdu and English newspapers and established the Nawa-i-Subh Complex in Srinagar, housing the first modern offset printing press of its time. He also laid the foundation of Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan in Jammu.
As Chief Minister, he created history by regularising the services of 42,000 daily wagers and providing employment to 20,000 educated youth. His initiatives included nationalisation of forests, granting Scheduled Tribe status to Ladakh, raising the upper age limit for government jobs from 30 to 32 years, on-the-spot procurement of handicrafts benefiting over 80,000 artisans, initiation of the 700 MW Uri Hydel Project, opening more than 100 fair price shops, modernisation of 400 kilometres of roads, construction of 34 bridges, creation of irrigation facilities for 2,600 hectares of agricultural land, opening of 127 primary schools, upgradation of 1,200 existing schools, establishment of an Engineering College in Jammu and approval for women’s polytechnic colleges in Srinagar and Jammu.
Strengthening the secular ethos of governance, Shah Sahib facilitated the establishment of both a Prayer Room (Masjid) and a Mandir in the Civil Secretariats of Jammu and Srinagar as well as at the Bagh-i-Bahu Fort in Jammu.
He presented the concept of an Intra–Jammu and Kashmir Conference for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue to the then Prime Minister of India, Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, proposing a five-region summit involving Jammu, Srinagar, Ladakh, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference continues its struggle for the restoration of constitutional rights bestowed upon the people of Jammu and Kashmir by the architects of modern India and the framers of the Constitution, using all legal and constitutional means to reclaim the State’s stripped dignity.
On this 17th death anniversary of its late leader, Khawaja Ghulam Mohammad Shah, the ANC reiterates its unwavering commitment under the leadership of Begum Khalida Shah to honour his legacy by raising issues of public importance that no authority can suppress.
It is time to rise above narrow political ideologies and interests and unite on a common platform to safeguard Kashmiri, Dogra and Ladakhi cultures against the erosion of Constitutional guarantees. To achieve this, we solemnly pledge:
- No to delimitation without inclusion of 2.5 million J&K refugees living in Pakistan
- No division of Jammu and Kashmir on regional or religious lines
- Dignified return of migrant Kashmiri Pandit brethren to their homes
- No sale of land and jobs to non-domiciles
- No to custodial killings and bloodshed on the streets
- Safeguarding the horticulture industry and agricultural lands
- Ensuring safety of every Kashmiri whether students, businessmen, tourist and shawl sellers in mainland India
- Rationalisation of reservation on a divisional basis
- Regularization of Daily wagers and implementation of Minimum Wages Act
- Restoration of peace and basic rights with dignity and honour
- Relocate undertrial Kashmiri prisoners back to J&K jails
- Crusade against the drug menace that has tripled over the last four years
This shall remain the truest and most enduring tribute to the towering legacy of the stalwart leader, Khawaja Ghulam Mohammad Shah.
