THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY

[PART I—SEC. 1

MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 11th September, 1982

O B I T U A R Y

No. 3/6/82-Publlc—In the death of Sheikh Mohammed

Abdullah, the country has lost one of Its great sons. An

embadiment of secularism, a democrat, a veteran freedom

fighter and a staunch socialist, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah

dominated the political scene of the Jammu & Kashmir State

for more than half a century.

2. He was. born on Decembor 5, 1903, at Soura, a suburb

of Srinagar, in a shawl merchant's family. His father had

died shorty before his birth and he lost his mother in childhood.

After his Matriculation from the Government High School

at Srinagar, he took his Bachelor's Degree from Islamia College,

Lahore, and Master's Degree in Chemistry from Aligarh

.Muslim University. On returning to Kashmir in 1930, he

started his career as a school teacher but threw up his job a

few months later to join national struggle for freedom.

3. As he entered the political arena, he was greatly in-

fluenced by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Maulanu

Abul Kalam Azad. He converted the J and K Muslim Con.

ference, of which he became the President in 1932, Into a secular

forum and named it National Conference, thus affording equal

opportunities to persons belonging to all faiths to participate

in the freedom movement.

4. Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah believed that our country's

multi-religious, multi-lingual heritage gave full opportunity

for each region, with its distinctive cultural personality to

contribute to the personality of the whole country. Religion,

in his view, could not become the basis of the State. He firmly

' pposcd the two-nation theory propounded by Shri Mohammed

Ali Jinnah. He was also a staunch democrat, and was an

articulate fighter against feudalism. Following the lead given

by Mahatma Gandhi in the struggle for India's freedom, he

launched the 'Quit Kashmir' movement in 1946 denouncing

Maharaja's right to rule and declaring that "sovereignty belongs

to the people". For this, he was tried for sedition and

imprisoned.

5. In 1947, when Pakistan invaded the Kashmir Valley,

he mobilised tho people not only for the defence of the home-

land against foreign aggression but also their support for

accession to India. He became the Head of the State's

Emergency Government.

6. After taking over the reins of the State Government,

he launched a massive reform programme. Zamindari was

abolished. The people were given debt relief. Schemes and

programmes for the good of the people of the State in various

fields were initiated.

7. Sheikh Abdullah was a Member of the Indian Consti-

tuent Assembly and was a signatory to

the Constitution.

He visited the United Nations as a Member of the Indian

delegation in 1948-49 and held the view that Pakistan had no

legal pjsition in Kashmir because Kashmir had already acceded

to India.

8. A new chapter in his distinguished life of service began

when he resumed leadership of the Government in Jammu

& Kashmir in February 1975 and up to his last day, he guidod

the administration of the State with dedication and drive.

During his stewardship, the State made good progress in various

fields.

9. Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah cherished and firmly

advocated, throughout his career, the ideals of unity, secularism,

socialism and democracy. He fought all his life against sectarian

interests and parochialism, and devoted all his energies to

the uplift of the poor and the strengthening of the unity of the

country. For his State he was a father figure and was popularly

called the Lion of Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah was a great

patriot. In him, the country has lost a statesman and freedom

fighter of remarkable stature and achievement. The people

and the Government of India mourn his death with profound

grief.

T. N. CHATURVEDI, Secy,

PRINTED BY THE MANAGER, OOVT. OF INDIA PRESS, RINO ROAD, NEW DELHI-110064

AND PUBLISHED BY THE CONTROLLER OF PUBLICATIONS, DELHI-110054,

1982