Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The state-run Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art,Culture and Language waded into a controversy regarding an article in a special edition of its journal Sheeraza that allegedly showed the ruling National Conferences founder,Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah,in poor light.
The 640-page special issue on Mohammad Yusuf Taing,an aide of Sheikh Abdullah,had an article by Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer Ghulam Nabi Gohar,who allegedly admitted to have distorted Kashmirs history in favour of the NCs legendary leader.
The government was left red-faced because Chief Minister Omar Abdul1lah,who is Sheikh Abdullahs grandson,had released the special issue.
His father Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy,Farooq Abdullah,had also written the foreword.
Barely a week before the 30th death anniversary of Sheikh Abdullah,the academy has withdrawn circulation of the journal and has instituted an internal inquiry.
The Kashmir Academy of Art,Culture and Language secretary,Khalid Bashir,said the Chief Minister released the special issue in February when Atal Dullo was heading the institution.
Unfortunately,the controversy erupted now, Bashir said.
Gohar,who was Sheikh Abdullahs counsel in the 1953 Kashmir conspiracy case against him,allegedly wrote in his 24-page article that the Kashmiri leader used to read only those lines which were beneficial to him.
Gohar also wrote in his article that Sheikh Abdullah used to spend most of his time in jail,after the 1953 Kashmir conspiracy,tending to poultry.
He also allegedly highlighted how Sheikh Shahib read a chapter of Mehar Chand Mahajans autobiography Looking Back and threw it down,accusing the author of writing absolute lies about the Kashmir accession. Later,he virtually endorsed everything written in Mahajans book by copying one of the chapters and putting it in his autobiography,Atish-i-Chinar.
