Vajpayee, Geelani among 57 legislators remembered during obituary session in J&K Assembly

J&K Assembly honors late legislators, including Vajpayee and Geelani, highlighting Vajpayee's legacy of peace and inclusivity.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday (November 5, 2024) recalled the legacy of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, while the legislators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference (NC) paid tributes to former MLA and ex-Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, as the J&K Assembly met for an obituary session to remember 57 legislators who passed away in the past six years.

Mr. Abdullah, who spoke about many prominent lawmakers who died since the last session of the Assembly was held in January 2019, focused mainly on Vajpayee and his famous outreach to Kashmir with the slogan of “Jamhooriyat, Kashmiriyat, and Insaniyat”. “Vajpayee was a towering figure who initiated the Lahore bus service and visited Minar-e-Pakistan in an effort to foster friendly relations with Pakistan. He famously stated that ‘while friends can change, neighbours cannot’. Vajpayee worked to open roads connecting the people of divided parts of Jammu and Kashmir, aiming to build personal relationships and bridge divides,” the Chief Minister said.

He pointed out that Vajpayee’s roadmap for J&K has been unfortunately abandoned, leading to increased distances between people instead of fostering connections. “If his vision had been fully realised, we would not be facing the challenges we do today and J&K would not have been downgraded [to a Union Territory],” Mr. Abdullah said.

He recalled how Vajpayee’s Union Cabinet initially rejected an autonomy resolution, “but he later acknowledged that the decision was made hastily”. “He (Vajpayee) then tasked the Law Minister with holding talks with the NC leadership on the matter. Vajpayee’s legacy serves as a reminder of the importance of thoughtful and inclusive decision-making in addressing complex issues such as those in J&K,” the Chief Minister further said.

Besides several NC legislators, CPI(M) legislator M.Y. Tarigami also praised Vajpayee’s wisdom and efforts to have friendly relations with neighbours. “Vajpayee’s decision to extend a ceasefire despite internal resistance reflected his commitment to peace,” he said.

NC legislator Bashir Ahmad Veeri and PDP lawmaker Rafiq Naik also paid tributes to former Hurriyat chairman Geelani, who was a three-time MLA from 1972 to 1989. “There might be political and ideological differences but Mr. Geelani has been a legislator and had a warm relationship with my father,” Mr. Veeri said.

The legislators from the Opposition BJP also remembered former President Pranab Mukherjee and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on the occasion.