|| ZAHOOR GULZAR
Shrewd politician, the schemer, the collaborator, Delhi’s man in Kashmir, an able administrator. These are few of the many descriptions that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who breathed his last at AIIMS hospital in Delhi on January 7 this year, was given over his six-decade long political career. However, as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, he was the ‘Deadline Man’. While political agenda of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not much different from arch-rival National Conference, it was Mufti’s focus on development from 2002 to 2005 that made people to almost forgive him for not only taking on but at times troubling Kashmir’s tallest leader Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Admirers, and even some critics, of the Mufti lament that his first tenure as Chief Minister was too short. Given the full support he enjoyed from the Congress, which was ruling at the Centre and in alliance with PDP in the state, Mufti was able not only put the development process back on track in the state but his constant prodding also raised hope that Delhi and Islamabad may finally agree on some kind of solution to Kashmir issue. Such was the respect for Mufti in Delhi that, besides getting liberal funding for development projects, all major confidence building measures vis a viz Jammu and Kashmir were made during that period.
Even on the development front, Mufti had chalked out a roadmap that his successor Ghulam Nabi Azad could do nothing but follow. The first fly over of reconstruction of Exhibition Ground, opening of National Highway for round the clock traffic, Jhelum beautification, fast track recruitment, Eidgah beautification, retrieving area of Dal lake from encroachers were just few of the projects he initiated during his short tenure. And all these projects were completed within deadlines which were honoured — something that was not normally associated with development works in the state. Such was the vigorous follow up by Mufti, the Chief Minister, that officials knew very early that they cannot fool around with this man.
The officials who worked closely with Mufti would vouch that he would not rest, and not allow anyone else to rest, till he got what he wanted.This was perhaps a habit he had inculcated from a very young age or a lesson he learnt while growing up the ladder in political hierarchy of the state where no one was certain about the next moment. Perhaps that also explains his eagerness to go on a tour of the Srinagar city on a icy afternoon, against the advice of the doctors,which would be his last official work before taking ill and landing atAIIMS hospital on December 24. Perhaps he knew he had little time and a lot to do. Mufti, a keen Bridge player, would always keep his cards close to his chest, revealing nothing till the very last moment.
While he has the distinction of being the first and only Muslim Home Minister of India, he will also be remembered as the man who made BJP’s ascent to power in the only Muslim-majority state of the country — Jammu and Kashmir — when he became the 12th Chief Minister of the state following assembly elections in 2014. In a political career spanning nearly six decades, Mufti was a key player in many historic developments in not only Jammu and Kashmir but also at national level.
He had the distinction of being the key player on all six occasions when Governor’s Rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir. A staunch Congressman for most of his political life, he joined hands with anti-corruption crusader V P Singh in 1989 Lok Sabha elections to rise to the post of Union Home Minister. He is still the only Muslim to have held the post since Independence. Born in Baba Mohalla of Bijbehara in Anantnag district on January 12, 1936, Mufti had his early education from a local school and later graduated from S P College Srinagar.
He went on to obtain a law degree and Master’s degree in Arab History from Aligarh Muslim University. Besides starting law practice in local courts, Mufti jumped into politics at a young age joining Democratic National Conference, formed by G M Sadiq in late 1950s. Sadiq, recognising the potential of the young lawyer, appointed him as the District Convenor of the party. In 1962, Mufti was elected from Bijbehara to the state legislative assembly, which he retained five years later.
He was appointed as Deputy Minister by Sadiq, who by then had become the chief minister of the state. However, he fell out with the party few years later and joined the Indian National Congress – a courageous decision at that time given that Kashmiris were still vociferous in their support to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who was in jail. Mufti, considered to be a fine organiser and administrator, ensured that Congress not only got foothold in the valley but created pockets of staunch support for the party. In 1972, he became a Cabinet Minster and also Congressparty’s leader in the Legislative Council. He was made the presidentof Pradesh Congress Committee couple of years later.Given his quick rise within party ranks, Mufti saw himself as thenext Chief Minister of the state.
However, these hopes were dashed when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi entered into an accord with Abdullah and handed him the post of the chief minister in February 1975, much against the wishes of Congress workers on the ground in general and Mufti in particular. Not the one to give up easily, Mufti engineered a coup of sorts ahead of the 1977 elections as Congress withdrew support to Abdullah’s government. The aim was to have a Congress Chief Minister – which would have been Mufti– in place for elections to control the official machinery but Governor L K Jha imposed Governor’s Rule in the state.
It was the first time that Governor’s Rule was imposed in the state. The results of 1977 Assembly elections all but killed Mufti’s dream of becoming the Chief Minister as Abdullah’s National Conference came to power with a thumping majority.Mufti was a key player when Governor’s Rule was imposed for the second time in the state in 1986. National Conference and Abdullahs have privately held the south Kashmir man responsible for the intra-party rebellion against and subsequent dismissal of Farooq Abdullah by Governor Jagmohan Malhotra in 1984. The power tussle between Farooq and his brother- in-law G M Shah led to permanent estrangement of these relatives; and also saw Shah becoming the Chief Minister with the support of Congress. However, Shah’s tenure also did not last long as Congress headed by Mufti withdrew support to his government.
When militancy broke out in Kashmir, Mufti had become the Union Home Minister and appointed Jagmohan Malhotra as Governor of the state. The move was resisted by Farooq Abdullah but in vain. Abdullah resigned in protest and the state came under Governor Rule again. While Governor’s Rule in 2002 and 2014 in the state was necessitated due to Mufti taking time to thrash out a coalition with Congress and BJP respectively, it was manoeuvrings of the shrewd politician that saw a democratically elected government give way to administration by the Raj Bhawan in 2008. Mufti’s PDP withdrew support to coalition government headed by Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad in July 2008 following widespread protests over the Amarnath land allotment.
Mufti’s stay in national politics was relatively short. As Farooq Abdullah warmed up to Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 to ensure his return as- Chief Minister, ahead of the 1987 assembly elections, Mufti was shifted to Delhi and appointed as the Union Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation by the then Prime Minister. He quit as tourism minister in 1987, left the Congress and co-founded Jan Morcha with V.P. Singh. In 1989, he won the Lok Sabha election from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh as a Janata Dal candidate and became the Union Home Minister in V P Singh’s cabinet. Although his tenure as Home Minister was just one year, it was doggedby a controversy at the outset. Within days off being sworn in, Mufti’s third daughter – Rubaiya – was kidnapped by JKLF militants demanding release of their five colleagues. She was freed only after the Central Government freed five the prisoners.
Towards the end of P V Narsimha Rao’s tenure as Prime Minister, Mufti returned to Congress party along with his daughter Mehbooba Mufti. Mufti won the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in 1998 general elections whileMehbooba became Congress MLA winning 1996 assembly elections.With his dream of becoming Chief Minister of the state stillunfulfilled, Sayeed parted ways with Congress and floated a regionaloutfit – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – in 1999. Some of the thingsassociated with the PDP are considered masterstrokes of Mufti’s political genius. The Green flag and Pen-inkpot election symbol of the PDP were liftedstraight from the Muslim United Front (MUF) – the Jamaat-e-Islamiledconglomerate of anti-National Conference, anti-Congress parties in1987 assembly elections. MUF was miles ahead of National Conference inpublic perception in the valley but had only four seats to show forit, The party symbols found ready acceptance in the valley asthe PDP made significant gains and won 16 seats in the 2002 assemblyelections.
Although way short of majority in the 87-member house,Mufti managed to bargain with Congress a three-year stint as the Chief Minister on rotational basis.Mufti was sworn in as the ninth chief minister of state on November 2, 2002 – fulfilling a dream that he must have had in 1975. The veteran politician – who enjoyed good relations across political spectrum at national level – saw his PDP grow to 21 seats in 2008 Assembly elections but surprisingly decided to sit in the opposition.
The youngest party in the state continued to grow as it not only won all the three Lok Sabha seats in the valley in 2014 general elections but also emerged as the single largest party in the state elections later in the year. Mufti became the unanimous choice for the Chief Minister the PDP and the BJP reached an agreement to form a coalition government. He took oath on March 1, 2015.
