After a decade, the preparations for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are in full swing. Congress and National Conference have announced to contest the elections together, while BJP has decided to contest the elections with its smaller parties. Former members of the banned organization Jamaat-e-Islami are participating in this election as independents. This organization contested its last election in 1987. This election of 1987 is considered an important turning point in the history of Kashmir because not only national and regional parties but also separatists contested in this election. Many leaders who lost in this election lost faith in the system to such an extent that instead of contesting elections in future, they went to Pakistan and started taking training in terrorism. Later, these people became the reason for the escape of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley in 1989 and a new phase of terrorism started in Pakistan, which was already burning due to Pakistan’s nefarious intentions.
Farooq Abdullah’s government was toppled by his brother-in-law, Congress supported him
Sheikh Abdullah’s son Farooq Abdullah won the elections of Jammu and Kashmir and became the Chief Minister, but soon after, his brother-in-law Ghulam Mohammad Shah broke away from the party. Rajiv Gandhi’s government at the center decided to support Ghulam Mohammad Shah at the behest of the state Congress. And Ghulam Mohammad Shah became the new Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Congress thought that he would work according to them but Ghulam was not ready to do this. The center wanted to withdraw support from him at any cost. But withdrawing support without any reason is not right. The central government got this reason when there was massive violence against Hindus in Anantnag.
In fact, Rajiv Gandhi opened the lock of Babri Masjid in the same year, due to which riots broke out in many places in the country. Kashmir remained peaceful but then riots broke out in Anantnag. The then Congress leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was blamed for these riots, who later broke away from Congress and formed his own party. Accusing these riots, Congress withdrew support to Ghulam Mohammad’s government in 1986 and President’s rule was imposed in the state.
Congress supported Farooq Abdullah, but the public was angry
After 7 months of President’s rule, Congress and Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference formed an alliance and formed the government, Sheikh Abdullah once again became the Chief Minister. But this did not last long, the term of the assembly was also about to end. Congress and Conference decided that they would fight the next elections together and rule the state for a long time. Till that time, these were the two biggest parties in the state and their coming together increased the chances of both winning with a huge majority. Talks of power sharing also started between the two parties, but a lot was yet to change.
Separatists announced to contest elections, formed Muslim United Front
Separatist leaders formed a new alliance against these two big parties. Almost all separatist leaders and organizations united under the leadership of Maulvi Abbas Ansari. Jamaat-e-Islami was prominent among them. The election which seemed easy became difficult for Congress. MUF campaigned a lot. This alliance became popular among Kashmiris in no time. Congress and NC started feeling that they would lose this election. The election symbol of MUF was ink pot and pen. Congress leader of that time Mufti Mohammad Saeed was later accused of holding ink pot in his hand in every rally he went to, so that the message goes among the people that they have to vote for that alliance.
Kashmiris showed tremendous enthusiasm for the elections, voting was up to 80 percent
Many big names tried their luck in this election, among them was the biggest name in the world of terrorism, Syed Salauddin. Salauddin, who contested the election from Amirakadal seat of Srinagar, became quite popular here. Voting took place on 23 March 1987, there was tremendous enthusiasm among the people about this election because those who wanted to stop the elections were themselves contesting the elections.
Seeing the huge voter turnout and the enthusiasm of the MOU, Congress and NC started thinking that they might lose. Counting of votes began on 24 March. After this, a round of allegations and counter-allegations began. From the day of voting itself, the MOU people started alleging that their workers were being put in jail. The candidate contesting against Syed Salauddin was accused that he had already lost and had gone home but he was called back and declared victorious.
Protests started against it in the entire state, terrorist organizations like Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front decided to change this violent atmosphere to their own advantage and started recruiting youth in large numbers. When the election results came, the Conference got 40 seats, Congress got 26 seats and MUF got 4 seats.
People in Delhi thought everything was fine, but a new phase of terror began in the state
After this election, the terrorists put it in the minds of the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the Indian government has betrayed us. They have rigged the election. Many leaders who participated in this election went to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan, from where they started spreading venom against India. Atrocities against Hindus increased. It became difficult for Farooq Abdullah to run the government in Jammu and Kashmir because people started feeling that he had rigged the elections in connivance with the Congress and this was not right. Later, this anger and terror boiled so much in Jammu and Kashmir that Kashmiri Pandits had to flee the valley. After this incident, in 1990, Farooq Abdullah had to resign due to the ongoing violence in Kashmir and President’s rule was imposed in the state.
After this election, the separatists started boycotting the election and started talking about terrorism. Congress and Farooq Abdullah said that there was no rigging in this election and if they felt that it had happened, they would have gone to the Election Commission instead of picking up the gun, they already wanted to do the same, they did this only to incite people against us. At that time, both national and international media said that no matter how powerful the MoU would have become, it would still not be able to form the government, so there was no need for the government to rig it. But these news spread and even today there is a belief among the people that the 1987 Jammu and Kashmir elections were rigged.