Syed Mir Qasim
Encyclopedia
Syed Mir Qasim was the Chief Minister of Kashmir
from 1971–1975 and well-respected throughout India
as a gentleman politician and statesman. He was noted for his tenacious courage and cool sagacity. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
described Syed Mir Qasim as a "great nationalist who worked selflessly in public interest and for peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir." Indian Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi
noted that "in the death of Qasim, the country has lost one of its pre-eminent political personalities, who symbolised our ethos of secular nationalism." Well-respected across the political spectrum, Syed Mir Qasim's advice and counsel was sought out by every Indian Prime Minister from Nehru to Vajpayee.
Syed Mir Qasim's political career first began during India's freedom struggle against Britain, when he became a leader of the non-sectarian, pro-democracy Quit Kashmir political movement. His advocacy against monarchical rule resulted in his imprisonment as a political prisoner by the Maharaja of Kashmir Hari Singh
.
After India's independence, Syed Mir Qasim drafted the Kashmiri constitution and went on to serve in various State and Union positions. He is credited for having established the Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) in Kashmir. Syed Mir Qasim most famously offered to resign from the office of Chief Minister in order to encourage and institutionalize the landmark Indira Gandhi-Sheikh Abdullah Accord in 1975.
Syed Mir Qasim suddenly died in an ambulance near India Gate in New Delhi on 12 December 2004—33 years to-the-date from when he became Chief Minister in 1971. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in the remote village of his birth, Dooru in Kashmir. Notably, given the general level of violent upheaval in Kashmir, his funeral was attended by thousands without incident. He was posthumously awarded India's highest civilian award by Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam in 2005.
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
from 1971–1975 and well-respected throughout India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as a gentleman politician and statesman. He was noted for his tenacious courage and cool sagacity. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
described Syed Mir Qasim as a "great nationalist who worked selflessly in public interest and for peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir." Indian Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
noted that "in the death of Qasim, the country has lost one of its pre-eminent political personalities, who symbolised our ethos of secular nationalism." Well-respected across the political spectrum, Syed Mir Qasim's advice and counsel was sought out by every Indian Prime Minister from Nehru to Vajpayee.
Syed Mir Qasim's political career first began during India's freedom struggle against Britain, when he became a leader of the non-sectarian, pro-democracy Quit Kashmir political movement. His advocacy against monarchical rule resulted in his imprisonment as a political prisoner by the Maharaja of Kashmir Hari Singh
Hari Singh
Maharaja Hari Singh was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.He was married four times...
.
After India's independence, Syed Mir Qasim drafted the Kashmiri constitution and went on to serve in various State and Union positions. He is credited for having established the Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) in Kashmir. Syed Mir Qasim most famously offered to resign from the office of Chief Minister in order to encourage and institutionalize the landmark Indira Gandhi-Sheikh Abdullah Accord in 1975.
Syed Mir Qasim suddenly died in an ambulance near India Gate in New Delhi on 12 December 2004—33 years to-the-date from when he became Chief Minister in 1971. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in the remote village of his birth, Dooru in Kashmir. Notably, given the general level of violent upheaval in Kashmir, his funeral was attended by thousands without incident. He was posthumously awarded India's highest civilian award by Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam in 2005.