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| Molvi Iftikhar Ansari's demise a major loss for PDP | | | M.L.Kak
Jammu, Sept 30: The PDP has lost an influential leader in the demise of Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari,a prominent Shia leader.He had the gift of the gab and would unnerve even his staunch political opponents by his high pitched fulminations.
The Maulana had a chequered political career and if he quit one party to join the other or later returned to the parent organization he did so not for any political or financial gains.Not for any personal aggrandizement.He did so when he found a number of skeletons in the cupboard of the Congfress,or the National Conference or the Janata Party.
When in 1977 he joined the Janata Party,which had set all the rivers in the north and central India on fire Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari played a prominent role in laying the foundation of the party in the Kashmir valley which was under the total influence of Sheikh Abdullah who had assumed added political weight after the Congress withdrew support to the Government led by the Sheikh.This withdrawal had resulted in the imposition of Governor's rule to be followed by fresh Assembly election.
The Maulana entered the poll battle on the Janata party ticket from his home constit uency,Pattan,25 kms from Srinagar.And the biggest shock the Janata Party received was in the shape of defeat of Molvi Ansari from Pattan constituency.He was defeated by Abdul Rashid Shaheen, not a prominent political face.It was so because the valley had been hit by pro-Sheikh Abdullah wave.And Molvi Ansari had polled 12734 votes against 15738 votes polled by Shaheen.In fact the Sheikh wave was so powerful that the Janata Party won only two seats,Handwara and Idgah in the Kashmir valley.
Opposition PDP MLA in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and prominent Shia cleric, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari died in Srinagar today following prolonged illness.He was 74.
The four-time MLA from Pattan Assembly segment, Ansari has a huge following amongst Shias in the state. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
Born on April 26, 1940, he studied Islamic theology in Iran, Egypt and Iraq.
Starting his political career in 1960s, Ansari was nominated as an MLC in 1973 on Congress ticket but switched to Janata Party in 1977.He returned to Congress in 1980s and was chosen as leader of the Legislature party in the State Assembly from 1983 to 1987.He was again elected to the state legislative assembly in 1996 on a Congress ticket and became a minister in the National Conference (NC) government headed by Farooq Abdullah.
Ansari joined the NC in 2002 and was elected from Pattan Assembly segment later that year but quit the party in 2006 to join the PDP. He lost the by-election.
The Shia cleric won the election in 2008 on a PDP ticket and was nominated as the party candidate for the forthcoming assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year
I came in contact with him in 1977 when he was contesting the Assembly poll from Pattan.He was an articulate political leader,fearless politician,well learned in the games of politics.At the same time he was a significant Shia leader.It was worth watching him dishing out sermons to his followers in the mosques during Moharram.He would keep large congregation of people spell bound with his sermons.It was so because he had powerful voice which was supplemented with equally powerful arguments.
Well people may differ with me when I say Molvi Ansari has been a nice human being ready always for helping the poor and the needy.He was a very nice host whether it was in a restaurant or a club or at his residence. Having tasted politics he had realised thst as a political leader he may not have been able to fulfill all the domestic requirements.This led him to establish a business venture which allowed him some sort of liberty to help the needy.
What placed him above many politician was that Molvi Ansari was a fearless political leader.He was neither timid nor lacked confidence.May his soul rest in peace. |
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