Dynasty Watch

In Kashmir, the tussle between its two arch-rival political families has for the first time become face to face. The official heirs of Ch...

In Kashmir, the tussle between its two arch-rival political families has for the first time become face to face. The official heirs of Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and former Union minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed 8212; Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, respectively 8212; are taking each other on in the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.

But as observers point out, that8217;s where the similarity ends. If Omar8217;s political career begins and ends with his father, it8217;s Mehbooba who is right now pulling her father out of doldrums.

8220;Omar Abdullah has no personnel base,8221; says political columnist Tahir Mohideen. 8220;He is there because of his father, and his fate entirely depends upon the traditional National Conference NC vote bank.8221; On the other hand, he adds, 8220;Mehbooba had been the force behind her father8217;s victory during the last Lok Sabha polls. Mufti himself does not enjoy good rapport in Kashmir and is always viewed to be New Delhi8217;s man here.8221;

NC general secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmad, of course, denies that the partyis carrying forward the Sheikh family rule, calling the charge a 8220;propaganda8221; unleashed by those who had always been rejected by Kashmiris. 8220;They are exposed and nobody is going to believe their pro-Kashmir rhetoric now,8221; he asserts, in an obvious pointer to the fact that Mufti has suffered humiliating defeats even in his home constituency.

But Mufti is making a comeback now, and largely due to his daughter. Mehbooba, therefore, scoffs at any comparison with Omar. 8220;My father is no Sultan of Kashmir, he has always been in a struggle against the misrule of the Sheikh family. I am not heir to any throne,8221; she says. 8220;What is Omar8217;s locus standi?8221; she adds. 8220;He is just his father8217;s son or grandfather8217;s grandson. Despite a stint in the Lok Sabha, he is politically still a non-entity.8221;

Mehbooba insists Omar is not even her main rival during the polls. 8220;My main opponent is the official machinery of the Farooq Abdullah government,8221; she says. 8220;The NC is not only using the entire government machinerybut also surrendered militants. These surrendered militants are even campaigning for poll boycott in our strongholds.8221; Omar was not available for a response to this.

As for the common people, the dynastic drama leaves them cold. Says Mohammad Sadiq, a milkman in Srinagar: 8220;For me, there is hardly any difference between Farooq and Mufti, both are doing their level best to see that their children are prosperous. I spent my whole life educating my son. He did post-graduation only to sell milk as there are no jobs for the poor and people without influence in the corridors of power.8221; Whether Omar or Mehbooba, he concludes, 8220;there will be no change in the system8221;.

Muzamil Jaleel

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More