Kashmir

Mehbooba Mufti pays tribute to Sheikh Abdullah on his death anniversary

Srinagar: Chief Minister, Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday paid rich tributes to former Chief Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah on his death anniversary.

Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah (born, 5 December 1905 – Died, 8 September 1982) was a politician who played a central role in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost Indian-administered state. The self-styled “Sher-e-Kashmir” (Lion of Kashmir), Abdullah was the founding leader of the National Conference and thrice served as the head of government in Kashmir. He agitated against the rule of the Maharaja Hari Singh and urged self-rule for Kashmir.

He was the Prime Minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir after its accession to India in 1947 and was later jailed and exiled. He was dismissed from the position of Prime Ministership on 8 August 1953 and Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad was appointed as the new Prime Minister. The expressions ‘Sadar-i-Riyasat’ and ‘Prime Minister’ were replaced with the terms ‘Governor’ and ‘Chief Minister’ in 1965. Sheikh Abdullah again became the Chief Minister of the state following the 1974 Indira-Sheikh accord and remained in the top slot till his death on 8 September 1982.

In her message on the occasion, Mehbooba Mufti described late Sheikh as a leading light of the freedom struggle who would long be remembered for unveiling a revolutionary socio-economic programme for the State popularly known as Naya Kashmir.

The Chief Minister said the late leader pioneered some historic decisions on land reforms and good governance, which included the concept of Single Line Administration that brought about socio-economic emancipation of the people at the grassroots level.

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