Srinagar, Sep 10
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday defended National Conference chief spokesperson and Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq over his controversial remarks on poverty in Kashmir, saying there was no need for him to clarify or apologize and referring to historical accounts of poverty during the Dogra period.
Speaking to reporters, Omar invoked the writings of British administrator and author Sir Walter Lawrence while responding to the controversy surrounding Sadiq’s remarks.
The controversy began after Sadiq, while speaking on the 44th death anniversary of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, referred to the poverty prevailing in Kashmir before Sheikh Abdullah came to power. He said that villages had at times shared a single pair of trousers, with people using it by turns.
The remarks triggered criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with both parties demanding an apology from Sadiq. The BJP also held protests at several places in Kashmir over the remarks.
Sadiq later clarified that he was referring to the “abject poverty and deprivation” suffered by Kashmiris under Dogra rule and said his remarks were not intended to demean Kashmiris. He also cited Walter Lawrence, saying the British official and author had documented extreme poverty and exploitation among Kashmir’s peasantry.
Omar’s remarks came a day after two senior NC leaders, Salman Sagar and Javid Baigh, expressed regret over the controversy. Baigh said the choice of words could have been avoided and apologized if anyone had been hurt, while Sagar also said the party was sorry if the remarks had hurt sentiments.
Walter R. Lawrence’s The Valley of Kashmir, published in 1895, contains detailed descriptions of the economic and social conditions of Kashmir’s peasantry during the Dogra period.
Lawrence wrote about poverty, taxation and the difficult circumstances faced by cultivators. His account also describes the clothing worn by Kashmiri villagers, including the traditional pyjama worn beneath the long gown or pheran.
His writings describe the limited material possessions of the peasantry and the poor condition of their clothing, providing a historical account of economic hardship among sections of Kashmir’s rural population.
However, the specific statement that an entire village or mohalla shared one pair of pyjamas has not been located in the passages of Lawrence’s The Valley of Kashmir examined for this report. The “one pair of trousers” reference therefore remains Sadiq’s own description of the poverty he was referring to and should not be attributed directly to Lawrence.
The BJP and PDP have both targeted the NC over Sadiq’s remarks and demanded an apology. BJP leaders have described the remarks as insulting to Kashmiris, while PDP leaders have also sought an unconditional apology from the NC spokesperson. [KNT]