It’s the strangest of paradoxes that Amarjit Singh Dulat’s e-book, The Chief Minister and The Spy, ought to have so deeply offended Farooq Abdullah. Described within the preface as “my story of my data of Farooq Abdullah”, the e-book was written together with his help. “We spoke about it umpteen instances,” Dulat writes. “‘Karo na’, he stated. (Go forward).”
The reality is the e-book is a paean of reward. It first claims: “I’ve come to consider that Farooq is the Nationwide Convention. It’s tough to think about what would stay of the NC if Farooq was not round.” However it goes additional. “I’d come to grasp … that Physician Sahibwas not only a Chief Minister. He was Kashmir.” In interviews, Dulat stated Farooq is larger than his father, Sheikh Abdullah, and “in all probability the tallest chief within the nation at present”. That’s exaggerated reward however Dulat means each phrase of it.
The e-book understands the predicament Abdullah has needed to cope with. Abdullah “wished to be a bridge between Srinagar and Delhi … he was in politics to work with Delhi, not towards it”. However the issue is Delhi didn’t grasp this. “Delhi has by no means actually understood Farooq Abdullah or his beliefs … there was one thing about him that was merely past the Capital’s comprehension.”
That’s one facet of Abdullah’s predicament. The opposite is the stress between Abdullah and the Kashmiri folks. They don’t belief Delhi. “There may be immense distrust hooked up to any establishment vaguely related to Delhi. The Kashmiri is instantly on his guard.” Consequently, “The (Abdullah) household has confronted the wrath of Kashmir’s residents … for his or her loyalty to India.”
This implies, on the one hand, Farooq Abdullah desires to succeed in out to Delhi however the response is lower than fulsome. On the opposite, his personal persons are not satisfied of what he’s trying. As an alternative of full help, he typically faces their wrath.
In reality, Dulat may be very insightful of a conundrum that separates Kashmiri politics from the remainder of the nation. “Kashmiri leaders discuss a distinct language in Kashmir,” he writes, “and a distinct language in Delhi.” Dulat doesn’t understand this as hypocrisy however as some type of what the French name politesse. The fact of survival imposes this. It’s not opportunism.
The Farooq Abdullah story Dulat relates centres round three nice betrayals he has confronted. The abrogation of Article 370 is considered one of them, even when Dulat has dealt with it ineptly. The opposite two can be to Farooq Abdullah’s liking.
The primary is how he was ousted at midnight in 1984. Dulat squarely blames Indira Gandhi and believes the influence on Abdullah was devastating. “The complete incident left a scar on Farooq’s psyche that has by no means healed… I don’t assume he has recovered from that. Nor do I feel he ever will.” I doubt if Abdullah would disagree
The second occurred in 2002, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani provided Abdullah the workplace of vice-president after which reneged. “Farooq was elated,” Dulat writes. “His life’s ambition had been to in the future change into President of India and this was the penultimate step to that aim.”
Of the bond that binds them — and I consider it nonetheless does even when it’s presently beneath stress —Dulat writes: “How a lot Physician Sahib has trusted me, I’ll by no means know – and the way a lot I knew of him he won’t ever perceive.” Solely buddies who perceive one another could make such a declare.
And but there are clearly gaps in Dulat’s understanding. In any other case, the unlucky controversy over the allegation that Abdullah would have been prepared to assist abrogate Article 370 if he had been taken into confidence would by no means have arisen. The irony is Dulat makes this exact level in his first chapter. “Within the three many years that I’ve recognized Farooq, I can’t say with any actual confidence that I really know him. You see, that’s the enigma of Physician Sahib. It isn’t simple to know him.”
What occurred final week was a tragic method of proving Dulat’s level.
Karan Thapar is creator of Satan’s Advocate: The Untold Story. The views expressed are private
