Journalism of Courage
Mehbooba Mufti, 55
Law graduate picked up the reins of the PDP when she was only 43. Founding PDP vice president will be J&K’s first woman CM.
Omar Abdullah, 45
Became CM at age 38 in 2008, youngest in India then. Joined politics at 28 in 1998; three years later, became MoS in A B Vajpayee’s NDA government. Working president of National Conference.
Sajad Lone, 48
J&K minister, chairman of the People’s Conference, was 35 in 2002 when he entered separatist politics after his father Abdul Gani Lone, Hurriyat leader, was killed. Joined mainstream politics by contesting parliamentary elections in 2009, lost, and won an assembly seat in 2015 after tying up with BJP.
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Ghulam Ahmad Mir, 55
President of state Congress. Began politics at age 19 and worked in Amethi and Rai Bareli, returned to valley in 1996.
“They are not just young but also very bright,” says political scientist Prof Gul Wani. “This is true not only in mainstream politics but also in separatist politics. Except for a few, the separatist leaders too are young.”
