New Delhi: In his new book The Chief Minister and the Spy, former RAW chief AS Dulat revealed that while Farooq Abdullah publicly called the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 a “betrayal,” his private stance was more nuanced.
According to Dulat, Abdullah told him, “We would have helped [with the proposal]. Why were we not taken into confidence?”
The book, published by Juggernaut, sheds light on the quiet meetings and backchannel conversations leading up to the move. Just days before Article 370 was scrapped, both Farooq and his son Omar Abdullah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. What transpired remains unknown, but Dulat notes that Delhi later gauged Abdullah’s response during his seven-month detention, hoping he would accept the new political reality.
Dulat’s memoir paints a layered portrait of Abdullah—at once a symbol of resistance and a shrewd political player, caught between personal convictions and political compulsions. From Indira Gandhi’s dismissal of his government in 1984—a wound he “always carried”—to Vajpayee’s attempt to sideline him by promoting Omar as Kashmir’s new face, the book recounts several turning points. Abdullah, Dulat writes, was offered a potential vice-presidential nomination as bait, something he viewed as a stepping stone to Rashtrapati Bhavan—another promise that never materialised.
Despite betrayals and shifting allegiances, Delhi continued to engage with Abdullah, understanding that navigating him required a deep grasp of his past and pride in Kashmir’s autonomy. While outright compliance was difficult, his pragmatism often opened doors for quiet negotiation. “Once you understood his history and legacy, it became easier to deal with him,” Dulat observes.
Still, Abdullah did not fully align with Delhi’s decisions. Following his release in early 2020, he refused to endorse the abrogation publicly, telling Dulat, “Whatever I say, I will say in Parliament.” Soon after, he spearheaded the formation of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), uniting with rivals like Mehbooba Mufti to demand the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status—a demand that persists.
Ultimately, Dulat’s account suggests that Kashmir’s story has been less about ideology and more about broken trust, missed opportunities, and leaders torn between principle and pragmatism.
As Abdullah once told him: “You people in Delhi think you’re playing chess, but this is a game where even the pawns have memories.”
