JAMMU: Over 500 leaders and prominent activists of various political parties including former ministers and legislators have fled the trouble torn Kashmir valley in the wake of threats by secessionist militants.
While most of these leaders and activists of National Conference Congress I Janata Dal, CPI and CPM are spending their days in Jammu, others including presidents of major political parties have shifted temporarily to Delhi and elsewhere.
Several former ministers and legislators who hail from Kashmir are living in government buildings in Jammu under tight security.
The former chief minister and National Conference President Faroog Abdullah is away in London along with his family while the chief of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress I Shafi Qureshi is in Delhi.
The President of J and K Janata Dal, Abdul Qayoom who had virtually been underground for last two months was seen in Jammu last week when the federal home (interior) minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, visited Jammu. Qayoom and several other party functionaries from Kashmir have been away from the valley for last three to four months.
About 150 activists of CPIM including its state secretary, Mohammad Yusuf Targami has also been camping in Jammu for last four months. Similarly, prominent activists of the CPI have fled the valley after killing of its prominent leader, Sattar Ranjoorin the South Kashmir township of Anantnag last month.
Reports from Srinagar said that the former Chief Minister and the President of the Awami National Conference, GM Shah left the valley in February and is reportedly in Bombay with his family.
As the legislative council has not met since the dissolution of the legislative assembly on January 19, the members of LC mostly from the valley have often been touring outside the state on one or other pretext.
One member Sadiq Ali, who is also secretary of National Conference, undertook several tours to avoid returning to the valley, secretariat sources said.
Hundreds of national conference party activists in Kashmir have already announced their dissociation from the party and some have gone into hibernation as it were by securing security cover after attacks by the subversives on some of its leaders. Some workers are even supporting the line adopted by the militants. Federal legislators from the valley have also been away in Delhi and a few of them who visited Srinagar in the company of the federal minister for Kashmir affairs George Fernandes did not venture to stay for more than a week.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 1, 1990
