Farooq Abdullah recalls defending India at UN after Vajpayee, Gujral declined to respond

In an interview with former MP and journalist Shahid Siddiqui on his YouTube programme, I Witness with Shahid, Abdullah said he was asked to respond on India’s behalf after both Atal Bihari Vajpayee and I K Gujral declined to take the floor.

Recalling the events at the Geneva meeting, Abdullah said Bhutto received a five-minute standing ovation from delegates after expressing gratitude for her return to power in Pakistan. However, he said, she subsequently used the international platform to launch a scathing criticism of India.

According to Abdullah, Vajpayee was initially invited to respond but expressed reservations, citing the absence of a Hindi translator and his difficulty in explaining everything in English. Gujral was approached next but also declined to speak.

When Abdullah’s turn came, he said he refused to read from a prepared statement, choosing instead to narrate what he described as the historical reality of Jammu and Kashmir.

He told the gathering about the tribal invasion of October 1947, when armed raiders from Pakistan entered Jammu and Kashmir and unleashed violence against civilians, particularly women, as they advanced towards Srinagar.

Abdullah recounted the atrocities committed during the invasion, including assaults and killings of women, with some victims’ earrings allegedly torn off along with their ears.

He also highlighted the attack on Baramulla, where foreign missionary doctors, their wives and nurses were killed at a local hospital. Abdullah further recalled the role of Maqbool Sherwani, who resisted the raiders and delayed their advance towards Srinagar, providing crucial time before Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession and Indian troops arrived.

Abdullah said he presented the entire account before the international delegates to explain the circumstances surrounding the events of 1947.

Recalling the response to his address, he said several diplomats approached him after the session. The president of the meeting also reportedly invited him into his private chamber to verify the details of the account he had presented.