Try GOLD - Free
Farooq Abdullah and the predicament of Kashmir
Hindustan Times Ranchi
|April 20, 2025
ON THE ONE HAND, FAROOQ ABDULLAH WANTS TO REACH OUT TO NEW DELHI BUT THE RESPONSE IS LESS THAN FULSOME. ON THE OTHER, HIS OWN PEOPLE ARE NOT CONVINCED OF WHAT HE'S ATTEMPTING. INSTEAD OF FULL SUPPORT, HE OFTEN FACES THEIR WRATH
It is the strangest of paradoxes that Amarjit Singh Dulat's book, The Chief Minister and The Spy, should have so deeply offended Farooq Abdullah. Described in the preface as "my story of my knowledge of Farooq Abdullah," the book was written with his support. "We spoke about it umpteen times," Dulat writes. "'Karo na,' he said. (Go ahead)."
The truth is the book is a paean of praise. It first claims: "I have come to believe that Farooq is the National Conference. It is difficult to imagine what would remain of the NC if Farooq was not around."
But it goes further. "I'd come to realise...that Doctor Sahib was not just a Chief Minister. He was Kashmir." In interviews, Dulat said Farooq is greater than his father, Sheikh Abdullah, and "probably the tallest leader in the country today." That's exaggerated praise but Dulat means every word of it.
This story is from the April 20, 2025 edition of Hindustan Times Ranchi.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Hindustan Times Ranchi
Hindustan Times Ranchi
Celebs share updates from UAE
Amid the US-Iran war, uncertainty has cast a shadow over UAE, home to one of the world's largest expat populations, including a sizeable Indian community.
1 min
March 03, 2026
Hindustan Times Ranchi
Are Tom Holland and Zendaya already married?
Hollywood's power couple, actors Tom Holland and Zendaya, seem to have said 'I do' in a quiet, secret ceremony, according to Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach.
1 min
March 03, 2026
Hindustan Times Ranchi
Two leaplings who nearly changed India’s history
If this were a leap year, there would have been a February 29, instead of March 1 following February 28.
4 mins
March 03, 2026
Hindustan Times Ranchi
Be a spectator, not an intruder: Malavika
The heart-wrenching story of Punch, the Japanese baby monkey abandoned by his mother, who struggled to make friends at the Okinawa Zoo, led to a massive movement across social media around the important issue of wildlife preservation.
1 min
March 03, 2026
Hindustan Times Ranchi
MEET THE WAGS OF THE MEN IN BLUE
As Indian cricketers continue to smash opponents on the pitch at the ongoing T20 World Cup, here's a look at the WAGs (wives and girlfriends) who are cheering for them behind the scenes
1 mins
March 03, 2026
Hindustan Times Ranchi
What the SIR exercise meant
India’s electoral rolls are statistically more robust now, but State capacity and institutional trust were stretched
2 mins
March 03, 2026
Hindustan Times Ranchi
A new West Asia disorder is born
The death of Ali Khamenei has not resolved Iran’s crisis; it has internationalised it
4 mins
March 03, 2026
Hindustan Times Ranchi
Reviving the message of Western supremacy
here are good reasons to take a close look at US secretary of state Marco Rubio's Munich speech, delivered two weeks before the attack on Iran.
3 mins
March 03, 2026
Hindustan Times Ranchi
Not a shortcut to slimness: Expert cautions on Mounjaro use
Comedian Aishwarya Mohanraj recently spoke about her 22 kg weight loss with Mounjaro, sharing both the results and the side effects, including nausea, discomfort and hair loss.
1 min
March 02, 2026
Hindustan Times Ranchi
Turning agriculture into an engine of prosperity
Recently, I visited a friend’s farm where he has spent years developing an organic and natural farming enterprise.
3 mins
March 02, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size