Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Srinagar on March 7, memories from his last visit in November 2015 loom large, etched in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir. The 2015 rally at the Sher-i-Kashmir cricket stadium witnessed a defining moment — a resounding snub to the then Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
In a candid address to the crowd, PM Modi delivered a forceful statement, asserting his position on the Kashmir issue, stating, "I need no advice or analysis from anyone in the world. The three mantras of Atalji, 'Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat aur Insaniyat,' will be helpful in moving forward. Without Kashmiriyat, India is incomplete. We want to move ahead with these three mantras."
This bold response was triggered by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's plea, before PM Modi's address, for India to extend a hand of friendship to Pakistan. During the same rally and from the same stage earlier, Sayeed proclaimed, "If Bharat wants to become a big power in the world, if it wants to grow bigger than China, then India has to take along its younger brother (Pakistan) with it. We want the hand of friendship to be extended with Pakistan."
Journalists covering the rally vividly recall the palpable awkwardness on stage as Modi publicly snubbed Sayeed, who sat with his hand scooped to his face. This incident, unfolding exactly 530 days after Modi assumed office as the 14th Prime Minister of India, became a moment of political tension and embarrassment.
"The moment Modi delivered those words while looking at Sayeed, we realized we had the headline of the day. With that, a number of our colleagues swiftly departed to file the story, as the essence of the rally had been encapsulated in that pivotal statement," recounted a journalist, while wishing anonymity, who covered the event.
"Adding to the political drama, the PDP leadership, despite Modi's announcement of projects worth Rs 80,000 crore for Jammu and Kashmir, found themselves overshadowed by the news of Modi snubbing Sayeed. The incident underscored that without Modi's project announcements, the PDP would have had limited options for face-saving. Intriguingly, Modi did not attend Sayeed's funeral on January 7, 2016, adding another layer to the unfolding political narrative," the journalist added.
The incident resurfaced in April 2019 when National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah revisited the 2015 snub during a rally in Kulgam district. Abdullah expressed how he would have responded differently, emphasizing the enduring impact of the incident on Kashmir's political landscape. (I would have said go to hell,” Farooq had said.
As Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Kashmir Valley for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the echoes of that historic snub and the underlying political dynamics are poised to inject intrigue into his upcoming visit and public rally on March 7 at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium, just ahead of the anticipated Lok Sabha polls in April or May 2024.
