Jammu & Kashmir News : Sheikh Abdullah remembered on 44th death anniversary as NC leaders highlight political and social legacy

Mushtaq Pulwama state chief

Srinagar, Sep 8 : The National Conference on Tuesday observed the 44th death anniversary of its founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at his mausoleum in Naseem Bagh, Srinagar, with party president Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior party leaders attending the commemorative programme. Party leaders and workers gathered to pay tributes to Sheikh Abdullah, with speakers recalling his role in Jammu and Kashmir’s political history and highlighting his contributions to education, healthcare, land reforms and communal harmony.

MP Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan said people from across Jammu and Kashmir continue to gather on Sheikh Abdullah’s death anniversary to pay tributes for the services he rendered to the people. NC leader Majeed Larmi described Sheikh Abdullah as a figure who dedicated his life to the people of Kashmir, India and humanity.

Senior NC leader Nasir Aslam Wani said the people of Jammu and Kashmir owed a debt to Sheikh Abdullah, crediting him with giving people a political voice, securing their rights and promoting education. NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said the anniversary represented the spirit of the collective struggle associated with Sheikh Abdullah and the political movement that, according to him, gave Jammu and Kashmir its identity and empowered its people.

Chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq highlighted Sheikh Abdullah’s contribution to education, healthcare and communal harmony, while particularly referring to the land reforms introduced during his tenure. The Jammu and Kashmir Big Landed Estates Abolition Act, enacted in 1950, abolished large landed estates and provided for the transfer of land to actual tillers. Historical and academic records describe the measure as a major agrarian reform that significantly altered the pattern of land ownership in the erstwhile State.

Education and Health Minister Sakina Itoo also paid tribute to Sheikh Abdullah, saying his contribution to the development of Jammu and Kashmir and the protection of the rights of its people would remain part of the region’s history. MLA Hazratbal Salman Ali Sagar said people from different sections had attended the commemorative programme, attributing the continued public reverence for Sheikh Abdullah to his political principles, advocacy of peace and developmental vision.

Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah died on September 8, 1982, at the age of 75. The National Conference observes his death anniversary every year at his mausoleum in Naseem Bagh.