By Ashok Bhan
In the long and turbulent history of Kashmir, few figures stand as tall, as influential, and as complex as Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah — the man lovingly remembered as Sher-e-Kashmir, the Lion of Kashmir. Born in 1905 in Soura, Srinagar, he rose from humble beginnings to become the most defining political force of 20th-century Jammu & Kashmir.
A Voice that Challenged the Mountains
From the earliest days of his youth, Sheikh Abdullah refused to accept the suffocating autocracy under the Dogra monarchy. His education at Aligarh shaped him, but it was the pain of his people that transformed him. He returned to Kashmir not as a scholar seeking comfort, but as a reformer determined to challenge injustice — an incorrigible Kashmiri whose spirit could not be bent.
In 1932, he laid the foundation of the Muslim Conference, which later evolved into the secular National Conference — a revolutionary idea at a time when identities were hardening across the subcontinent. With the historic Naya Kashmir manifesto of 1944, he envisioned a modern, socially just, and equitable Kashmir grounded in dignity, education, and economic liberation.
A Freedom Fighter with an Uncompromising Conscience
Sheikh Abdullah’s call for the “Quit Kashmir” movement in 1946 shook the foundations of the Dogra state. He became not just a politician but a symbol of resistance. His jailing only elevated him further in the eyes of the Kashmiri people, who saw in him the embodiment of their aspirations.
After 1947, as conflict engulfed the region, Abdullah became the first Prime Minister of Jammu & Kashmir. His land reforms — particularly the historic “land to the tiller” policy — broke centuries of feudal oppression and gave dignity to thousands of poor Kashmiri families. It was one of the most radical and impactful social transformations in South Asia.
Struggle, Imprisonment, and the Weight of Leadership
His journey, however, was not linear.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelHis disagreements with the Indian leadership over Kashmir’s political future led to his dismissal and imprisonment in 1953, a moment that marked a deep scar in Kashmiri political memory. For over two decades, Sheikh Abdullah oscillated between imprisonment, negotiation, and renewed political activism.
He became a symbol of a people’s unresolved aspirations — a leader who could not be silenced, a Kashmiri whose loyalty lay, above all, with his homeland.
The Return, the Accord, and the Final Chapter
In 1975, after years of political stalemate, he signed the Indira–Sheikh Accord and returned to power as Chief Minister. To some, this was a moment of statesmanship; to others, a moment of compromise. But history judges him not by one decision, but by the breadth of his life’s work — a life dedicated to protecting Kashmiri identity, dignity, and rights through some of the most difficult decades the region had ever seen.
His Legacy: Unforgettable, Unavoidable, Undeniably Kashmiri
Sheikh Abdullah remains one of the most compelling, debated, and towering personalities of Kashmir. His contributions — from land reforms and educational upliftment to political awakening — reshaped Kashmiri society. His flaws, like his strengths, were immense. His life was a reflection of Kashmir itself: beautiful, troubled, idealistic, wounded, but endlessly resilient.
He was, in every sense, an incorrigible Kashmiri — one who could not abandon his land, his people, or his beliefs, no matter the cost.
A Salute
Today, as we remember him, we honor not just a leader but a chapter of Kashmiri history.
May his struggles be understood, his achievements be remembered, and his legacy continue to spark reflection, pride, and courage in generations to come.
Sher-e-Kashmir lives on — in memory, in history, and in the soul of his people.