The Hindu : 'Coronation' revisited

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 24, 2002

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'Coronation' revisited

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR JUNE 23. Today's convention of the ruling National Conference, held here amid unprecedented security — where the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Omar Abdullah, took over as president of the party — was a repeat of the "coronation'' of the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, on August 21, 1981, when his father, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, fixed the badge of party president on his sherwani.

Omar, Dr. Abdullah's son, was also in a black sherwani and a white turban, which was later replaced by a qaraquli. He came to the venue with his wife, Payal, and two sons, Zaamir and Zaahir.

The proceedings started with the recitation of verses from the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Bible and the Buddhist scriptures. It was followed by Jammu and Kashmir's "national anthem'' — lahra aey kashmir ke jhandey.

The "national anthem" is like the separate flag that the State has, approved by the State's Constituent Assembly in 1950. It was followed by Mohammed Iqbal's sare jehan se acha hindustan hamara. And, Jana Gana Mana was not on the list of proceedings.

The delegates and the general council members of the NC assembled in the lawns and welcomed their new president by waving flags.

The entire city was decorated with NC flags and buntings welcoming Omar.

The party general secretary, Sheikh Nazir Ahmed, presented his report and recalled the contribution Dr. Abdullah as president and Sheikh Abdullah, who founded the Muslim Conference in 1931 and later re-christened it as the National Conference to give a secular colour to the movement launched for freedom from dynastic rule.

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