Once Cong & PDP Leader, J&K’s Ghulam Nabi Patel Disowned in Death

Which party did Ghulam Nabi Patel, who was killed by militants, belong to? Parties play politics over his death.

For the man, Ghulam Nabi Patel, who was at the forefront of reinvigorating the mainstream politics in Kashmir following the eruption of militancy, life must have come a full circle.

(Photo: Muneeb ul islam)

Ghulam Nabi Patel embraced the idea of India unmistakably in his long-drawn political career in Kashmir spanning decades. He flirted with political parties traversing the ideological spectrum of the mainstream camp in Kashmir. In his bloodied death, however, he was tragically denied the honours of the badges that he had worn with pride during his lifetime.

Patel, who worked with the Congress party, according to his family, was assassinated by suspected militants who opened fire at his Mahindra Scorpio SUV in Rajpora village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday, 26 April. Two of his security guards were injured in the brief shooting that brought back memories of the turmoil post Burhan Wani’s killing when the mainstream camp was literally chased out of south Kashmir.

The car in which Ghulam Nabi Patel was travelling to Pulwama, when he was shot dead.

Police and family sources told The Quint that the 64-year-old, who earned the monicker ‘Patel’ because of his association with the Congress leader, Ahmed Patel, was on way to Pulwama. His car briefly stopped in the main square of Rajpora village when unknown gunmen, believed to be three in number, struck.

“They (militants) were traveling in a car and fled from the spot within seconds. By the time police reached there, he was already dead,” Senior Superintendent of Pulwama police, Mohammad Aslam, said.

Restoring Democracy in Turmoil

After being associated with the Congress party and its prominent leader in Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, for years, Patel reportedly fled to Delhi in early nineties when insurgency took Kashmir by storm.

Working behind the scenes for years, he made a stunning comeback in 1996 assembly elections, the first to be held in Jammu and Kashmir after militancy emerged as a crucial challenge for mainstream politics. Many believe that the likes of Patel who shot mainstream into relevance in the Valley’s turbulent politics made it happen.

In 1996, there was no concept of National Conference or Congress in Kashmir. Since militants were almost running a parallel state, the government held an election to project that the writ of the state still existed and that the democracy was taking roots. It was because of men like Patel, who worked with National Conference leader Bashir Nengroo during the election, that lent credibility to the process.

Ghulam Nabi Monga, Congress leader

Relatives and neighbours grieving the political activist’s death.

But Patel was a man of many tastes. He is believed to have established contacts with the BJP in J&K after the 2014 assembly election. According to a National Conference leader, he flirted with almost every political party in the state, including the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

A PDP leader said Patel played an “influential” role in the debut victory of Haseeb Drabu from Rajpora constituency. After the 2016 uprising, he had to flee his home amid militant threats.

“It is unfortunate that politics is now being played over his dead body at this hour of grief. (Chief minister) Mehbooba (Mufti) ji has already condemned the killing and I also condemn it. I think it is immaterial at this point of time whether he worked with the Congress or the PDP. Irrespective of our ideologies or affiliations, the killing should be condemned unequivocally,” PDP leader Rafi Mir, said.

Politics Over Dead Bodies

Soon after the news of Patel’s killing broke, condemnations started pouring in from different quarters. Chief minister Mehbooba regretted the “cowardly” killing of the “Congress leader” on Twitter.

Her claim on the political affiliation of Patel was corroborated by the Congress leader and spokesman, Salman Soz, who called the act “despicable” while condoling the broad daylight assassination of Patel.

However, a statement by J&K Congress vice-president Mohammad Anwar, which identified Patel as a “PDP activist”, created storm in the state with former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah as well as the ordinary netizens accusing the mainstream camp of “disowning” their own man and denying him dignity in his death. A PDP leader said Patel worked with late Mufti Sayeed before joining Congress in 2008.

“How tragic that Patel Sahib, a political worker assassinated by militants in Kashmir is being disowned by both the PDP & Congress. If neither party is willing to own him as one of their own let’s just call him a NC worker so his death is not in vain,” Omar said on Twitter, echoing the sentiment on the ground in Kashmir where the killing evoked widespread condemnation.

The former chief minister said Salman’s was the “lone voice” from the Congress party which “washed their hands off Ghulam Nabi Patel”.

Life Comes Full Circle

In a documentary broadcast on NDTV 24X7 last year, Patel spoke to the interviewer about the fear of death looming over the heads of people working in the mainstream camp. The interview was conducted in the backdrop of growing militant attacks on the activists and leaders of regional National Conference and PDP following the killing of Burhan Wani.

“It is a good question,” Patel tells the interviewer when asked whose writ ran on the violence-wracked streets of Kashmir post Burhan episode, “but I can’t answer it because it will increase the level of threat to my life. I can tell you off-record but not like this! That I am not able to answer your question on record must also tell you who runs the government here.”

For the man who was at the forefront of reinvigorating the mainstream politics in Kashmir following the eruption of militancy, life must have come a full circle.

Patel spoke of the threats to his life and worsening security situation inside the garrisoned MLA hostel in Srinagar. He was visibly shaken, but the fear of losing his life didn’t shake his core beliefs and faith in democracy.

His death and the politics played over it, however, has exposed the dark face of mainstream camp.

"Disowning a grassroots political activist tells us how those who espouse pro India ideology and get consumed by violence on Kashmir's political landscape, are like orphans who no one is interested to own with pride. It also reflects the dirty and ugly side of the so-called mainstream politics which seems to be using the individual when alive and disowning him once dead and buried,” Gowhar Geelani, senior journalist and political commentator said.