Bhalessa: Social and Political awakening

By Sadaket Malik

Gone are the days when area like of Bhalessa witnessed a tumultuous days. Of late, there was a paucity of community leadership on the one hand and sacracity of a membership in assembly to represent the improvised terrain of Bhalessa on the other.

Mohammad Sharief Niaz- rated high in the realm of Politics was the only torch bearer to provide solace to the people during the turmoil. Niaz, born in improvised family on 24th of April 1944 in village changa Bhalessa, He is a law graduate, being a legal luminary, he was entrusted the responsibility as Law Minister of the state in 1989. He patronized the improvised people above the castes and religions.

Packed with outstanding achievements in democratic arena. Niaz, joined student Union, trade unions and teachers unions. He joined congress party in 1976, worked as a trade union leader and pleaded the cause of working class, nominated district president of congress committee Doda in 1979, unsuccessfully contested 1983 assembly elections on congress ticket from Inderwal constituency but elected in 1987, inducted into the council lof ministers of minister of state Law in1989, From 1992 to 1996 he remained a member of USERS consultative committee in Northern Railway of India, elected to assembly in 2002 . He polled 16,962 votes and defeated his nearest NC rival Mohammed Aslam by a margin of 6,827 votes He was inducted as Minister for power in Mufti-led Congress-PDP coalition.

Paving the way to the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to contest the Assembly elections, He resigned from the Bhaderwah constituency from where he was elected in 2002. Mr. Niaz's resignation was accepted with effect from March 1,

It was mandatory for Mr. Azad to be a member of any of the two Houses by the end of April since he took over as Chief Minister on November 2, 2005. Due to the resignation of Niaz, by-election was held in Bhaderwah constituency on April 24, 2006. He won this seat with an overwhelming margin of 58,000.

In 2007, Niaz was elected as a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) for Doda replacing Mohammad Iqbal Bhat.

This is interesting to note that in the aftermath of Jammu agitation while the assembly constituency like Bhaderwah witnessed sharp polarization, here the impact was not so deep for Niaz being the lonely competent condidate for congress high command.

Lo and behold, Niaz reportedly broke down at the declaration of the result,when he was contesting from Bhaderwah in 2009 By elections as he himself was not expecting to win. Niaz, defeated Mr. Dalip Singh of BJP by a margin of 2,747. While Mr. Niaz polled 21,966 votes, Mr. Singh polled 19,219 votes, out of total 53,219 votes polled.

Niaz was not only pitched against strong candidates of other parties but also his own party leaders, workers and a number of close relatives worked against him. The youth and disadvantaged played a pro-active role to ensure his victory. Niaz saw a bitter contest with the BJP roping in Ghulam Ali, brother of Ghulam Nabi Azad, to campaign for the BJP candidate. Ghulam Ali raised a storm by supporting the Babri Masjid demolition in his speeches.

Local people opines that he won the election keeping in view the contribution of Niaz during tamultous days of termoil.

To focus on his contribution to the state in general and Bhaderwah Bhalessa area in particular before 42 years. We can speak it as Political representation of Bhalessa in assembly since time immemorial. Things seemed changes due to the visionary programmes of Niaz.

He resigned as a Teacher and joined Indefinite strike to metigate the suffering people at that time. when Bhalessa was witnessing atrocities committed no to the people by nefirious designs, a fire owing to the turmoil, its he who remained all along with the people who became prey of violence. The times itself are witnessing that Niaz has by and large contributed for the peace and amity of the land. He seemed Pro-Active in socio-developmental convas of Bhalessa.

Regarding the Kashmir conflict, he is on the screen as a think tank for Indo-Pak process viz-a-viz good goverenance in the state. He always raised the issues in his that a large number of people living under the constant fear of gun along the border on both sides, are today are most relieved with this decision. He advocated that Pakistan should take desired measures to control the militant organisations operating from its soil and indulging in bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir.

During his tenure as a cabnit Minister, he ordered a probe into the reasons for the collapse of the diversion Tunnel Number 2 at the 450-MW Baglihar hydroelectric project in Kashmir.

Sadaket Malik is an Independent Citizen Journalist besed in Bhalessa and can be mailed at sadaketmalik@rediffmail.com