Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir union territory assembly on Tuesday paid obituaries to 57 deceased legislators including the late separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The speaker of the assembly Abdul Rahim Rather asked the assembly to maintain two minutes silence and hold prayers for these legislators.
Rather mentioned that it is not possible to pay individual obituaries to all these leaders but the assembly should remember their services and pray for their eternal peace.
Among the legislators and parliamentarians were former president of India Pranab Mukherjee, former BJP veteran and prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and communist leader and former speaker of Lok Sabha Somnath Chaterjee and late separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani who has represented the Sopore Assembly constituency of the Baramulla district thrice in 1972, 1977 and 1987.
Geelani, who was elected on Mutiha United Front (MUF), later spearheaded the separatist movement in Kashmir and passed away in September 2021. His funeral was not allowed during the day by the authorities and he was buried in the neighbouring graveyard in Hyderpora area of Srinagar during the night hours.
Except for two legislators Rafiq Naik of People's Democratic Party and Dr Bashir Ahmad Shah (Veeri) of National Conference, none of the leaders mentioned Geelani separately in their obituaries.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma while addressing during the obituary period said that the list included the stalwart leaders who shaped the country's politics and served people.
"Many deceased legislators in the list are inspirations for us. They served the country and Jammu and in difficult period," Sharma said, paying special prayers for BJP legislator from Nagrota, Devender Singh Rana, who passed away last week after a prolonged illness.
Sharma specially mentioned BJP's late leader and former prime minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee saying that his life was a "model and inspiration" for all the legislators.
Independent MLA from Jammu and cabinet minister Satish Sharma, who is the son of late Congress leader Madal Lal Sharma, paid obituary to the leaders and specially mentioned his father Madan Lal Sharma. The late Sharma was five time Member of Parliament from Jammu and minister in the Congress.
"I could not make proud my father when he was alive. Today, I am in the House because of my father," Sharma said.
Congress leader and the party's Chief Whip Nizam u Din Bhat said that all the deceased legislators had an important role at the country level and the regional level.
"We feel proud of their work and their life is an inspiration for us. The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been very unfortunate due to its volatile situation but leaders have played a role during their lifetime for helping the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Bhat said, hoping that the upcoming leaders at the country level and the state level must play a role for serving people of the Jammu and Kashmir.
PDP MLA from Tral Rafiq Naik in his obituary mentioned Geelani said that although he did agree with his political ideology “but he was a great orator and his contribution to the legislative assembly must not be ignored”.
NC legislator Dr Bashir Ahmad Shah (Veeri) said that all the legislators and parliamentarians shaped the politics of the country, and Jammu and Kashmir “but the role of BJP stalwart and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is worth mentioning”.
"Despite difficult relations he extended his hand of friendship with the neighbours (Pakistan). He championed the slogan and politics of jamhooriyat, insaniyat and jamhoriat" Veeri said, also mentioning the name of Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The deceased legislators
The deceased leaders include former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Jagmohan Malhotra, as well as former Union Minister Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, former Union Minister P Namgyal, former Chairman of the Legislative Council Abdul Rashid Dar, as well as past ministers such as Mian Bashir Ahmad, Madan Lal Sharma, Muhammad Sharif Niaz, Syed Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, Thakur Randhir Singh, Abdul Gani Mir, Govind Ram, Puran Singh, Sardar Rafiq Hussain Khan, Togdan Rimpoche, Ghulam Qadir Mir and Qazi Muhammad Afzal, former MLA, Prof. Bhim Singh and Krishan Dev Sethi, along with former MLAs Abdul Aziz Parray, Muhammad Yasin Shah, Rachpal Singh, Peer Abdul Gani Shah, Choudhary Bashir Ahmad Naz, Muhammad Shafi Khan, Abdul Gani Naseem, Abdul Wahid Shan, Ghulam Qadir Bhat (Bedar), Abdul Aziz Parray, Ghulam Rasool Bahar, Abdul Razak Wagay, Thakur Diwakar Singh, Rajesh Gupta, Som Nath, Prakash Sharma, Muhammad Maqbool Bhat, and Ghulam Rasool Sofi. Former MLCs to be remembered include Choudhary Fateh Muhammad, Abdul Rehman Badana, Habibullah Bhat, Thakur Kashmira Singh, Yashpal Sharma, Raja Nasir Khan, Wali Muhammad Bhagwan, Haji Ali Muhammad Bhat, Abdul Aziz Wani, Chuni Lal Dhiman, Trilochan Singh Wazir, Aga Syed Jamal, Haji Muhammad Sultan, Gulzar Ahmad Khatana, Muhammad Aslam, and Mirza Muhammad Yaqoob.
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