International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-4, Issue-7, Jul.-2018 http://iraj.in SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DURING SHEIKH ABDULLAH’S PERIOD MOHD. IQBAL WANI PhD. Researcher, Research Centre: - Govt. Hamidia Arts & Commerce College Bhopal (M.P) University, Bharkatullah University Bhopal M.P. E-mail: [email protected] I. INTRODUCTION For this purpose a National Industrial Council is to be set up. About transport manifesto said that anything Sheikh Abdullah (5th December 1905-8th September done for the regeneration of the country must plan 1982) was a Kashmiri politician who played a central simultaneous development of the means of role in the politics of Jammu & Kashmir, the communication and transport. Hence it was proposed northernmost Indian state. The self-styled “ Shere- top set up a National Communications Council Kashmir” (Lion of Kashmir), Abdullah was the consisting of engineering experts and economic founding leader of the Jammu and Kashmir National advisers. The distribution system being the “vital Conference and the 2nd Prime Minister of Princely cornerstone of any planned economy”, it was state J&K and 4th Chief Minister of Jammu and proposed to establish the National Marketing Council Kashmir. He agitated against the rule of the Maharaja costing of business experts and economic advisers. Hari Singh and urged self-rule for Kashmir. On the The National Public Health Council was suggested to last day of Oct 1947 Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah be established for safeguarding the health of the who had led the people of Jammu and Kashmir to citizens. This would propose that every, 1,500 people revolt against serfdom for nearly two decades was will have a doctor, every village a medical attendant, charged to deal with the emergency which had starting of a medical college, encouragement of both suddenly arisen as a result of Pakistan invasion of the Ayurvedic and Union systems of medicines. For the state. Four days earlier no Government existed in the promotion of education, the National Educational state well-equipped hordes from Pakistan had Council would be set up. This could suggest methods swooped down on the frontier town of Muzaffarabad for the creation of a national university laying and were knocking at the gates of Srinagar the capital emphasis on tradition and history, a statistical of Kashmir. The capital itself had been abandoned institute, an institute of nationalities; a network of but the people under the National Conference Sheikh higher, middle and primary schools, district colleges Mohammad Abdullah’s party rose to defend their for men and women and adult education night hearths and homes against the aggression of Pakistan schools. unleashed on the peaceful valley with the fully fury The National Housing Council would prepare plans of a religion war. Thousands of refugees from the for town and village housing on modern lines. For sacked towns were pouring into the capital. The state cultural progress, the Naya Kashmir manifesto treasury was without cash and a run had started on the proposed establishment of a radio station, national banks. But he died at the age of 76 years.1 film industry and national theatre, encouragement of youth activity, protection of ancient monuments and II. PLAN establishment of the institute of art and culture. The National Economic plan was sub-divided into 1. Socio-economic conditions in the state during production, transport, distribution, utility services and the period of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah: currency and finance. The production was to be for The National Conference did much particularly in its use and not for exchange and the objective was to initial years in power, to improve socio-economic provide a reasonable standard of living for all people conditions in the emergence of new generation of in the state. This basis agricultural plan would be Kashmir’s better educated then their processors, more abolish of landlordism, land to the tiller, co-operative conscious of their political lights and prerogatives association, feeding the state people first, and and impatient with the earlier generation would people’s control of the forests. A National eventually come to challenge the National Agricultural Council would be set upon the state to Conference. execute and supervise the national agricultural plan. Maharaja Hari Singh had done little to ameliorate the The principle of production is that all key industries social and economic backwardness of his kingdom. must be in the hands of the people’s Government and During his regin, the principle source of income land therefore the manifesto enumerated the abolition of was held largely by two classes of landlords. The big private capital, all key industries to be managed Jagirdars owned of landlords from which they and owned by the democratic state; and private extracted revenue. The monarch had granted than monopoly, whether formal or virtual, to be forbidden. these Jagirs, some in perpetuity. The manfidars were Socio-Economic Development during Sheikh Abdullah’s Period 52 International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-4, Issue-7, Jul.-2018 http://iraj.in individuals such as pundits (Brahmans) or take timely steps to solve their respective agrarian faqirs(Mendicants) who paid no takes on the lands problems are prey today. It is the policy of the present assigned to then by the monarch these two groups of Government of Kashmir to ultimately allow land to landlords rented out most of the available cultivable go to the tiller of the land. In the meanwhile, the land under exploitation condition. Government has taken the following measures as an Given its socialist prove levities, one of the first immediate relief to the peasantry:- political initiatives that the National Conference undertook after winning office was to abolish this 1. Absentee landlordism has been abolished; landlordism. Two pieces of legislation were passed in 2. No tenant who has cultivated land for seven 1950, the abolish of Big Landed Estate Act and months before the passing of the new Tenancy Act Distressed Debtors Relief Act. The first confiscated may be evicted; all parcels of cultivable land greater than 23 acres and 3. The tenant is entitled to 3/4ths of the produce of the either distribution them to landless peasants or land as against 1/4th only to which the proprietor is converted them into state property. The second entitled; created a board that instituted policies for the relief of 4. Village officials will henceforth be elected; debtors. Although these initiatives alienated a 5. 40,000 aces of unattached land have been significant segment of the Jammu based Hindu distributed amongst the landless peasants; landed gentry, they won Abdullah the powerful 6. Rationing has been introduced in the rural areas loyalty of lower and middle- class Muslims and benefiting nearly 2 million people in the villages; Hindu.2 7. A moratorium has been placed on all non- commercial debts; 2. Sheikh Abdullah’s achievements during the 8. Rs. 5,00,000(rupees is equivalent to 21 cents) have period of Prime Minister (1948-1953). When, he been distributed by the Government as flood relief in came to power in 1948 as Prime Minister of princely areas which were visited by floods during 1948-49. state. He gave directions to implement schemes of land to the tiller, liquidation of rural indebtedness, the The Government has also, in order to introduce new quick spread of education, including the education of methods of cultivation with a view to stepping up of women, higher education in particular. In just ninety food, put into use a fleet of 13 tractors in the state. days the first phase of land to the tiller was The Kashmir peasant is thereby being provided with accomplished; land in excess of the prescribed debt all modern facilities of mechanized cultivation.4 was liquidated with remarkable expedition. The basic daily wages of skilled, semi-skilled unskilled labor III. COMMUNICATIONS was increased. We now have no bonded labor nor do our fellow-men pull bicycle rickshaws. In 1948 when The problem of communications is vital for Kashmir. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah had taken first as After the invasion, the Government was faced with Administrator and Education Minister and then as a the task of building a transport organization of its Prime Minister he found the Education Department own in order to move supplies and stores from India. was in a very bad state. He began to translate the It may be mentioned here that Pakistan authorities dreams of 1933 at Pather (rock) Masjid into a reality.3 looted away most of the vehicles belonging to the During the period of Prime Minister Sheikh State before the invasion used to ply on the Mohammad Abdullah solved the lot of problems, Rawalpindi road. Accordingly a fleet of 351 vehicles such as agrarian question, Communications, Relief costing nearly Rs. 10, 00,000 was purchased by the and Rehabilitation, Land to the tiller, Irrigation, Government to supplement the transport resources of Educational system, Industries, Transport and also private agencies. These vehicles employ nearly 2,000 Publicity now these terms are under below. people as drivers, cleaners and mechanics. To look after accessories are working at different places in the 3. The Agrarian Question: state. Kashmir has 8,903 villages with a population of Anew roads were connected for far-flung areas of the 3,503,929, against a population of 362,314 living in state. Places like Basohli in Jammu and Langat in the towns which are only 39 in number. For centuries, Kashmir are now motorable roads connecting them the peasantry of the state was subject to feudal with the respective capitals. A chain of air fields has exactions and had been denied all rights on the land.