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Begum Akbar Jehan laid to rest at Naseem Bagh

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

In telling contrast to the historic funeral procession of her husband, Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah was laid to rest in a more or less strictly official function attended by family members, ministers, state officials and their bodyguards.

For the valley, especially the capital Srinagar, the death of the legendary Sheikh Abdullah's widow was at best a media event. A few hundred people attended the funeral amidst unusual calm in the city, in striking contrast to a similar occasion 18 years ago when the Sheikh was laid to rest at the same place in Naseem Bagh. Tens of thousands of people had joined his funeral procession and for five days shops and business establishments had remained closed.

Long-time residents of Srinagar still recall that procession, which began from the polo ground in the morning and reached Naseem Bagh only in the evening. There were no gunmen around to guard the mourners then.

But when the funeral procession of 'Madre Meherban', comprising a few hundred mourners, began its journey from the Gupkar residence of Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, there were more soldiers in bulletproof vehicles guarding it.

The procession passed silently on Boulevard Road where troops had lined up on both sides. "There were no soldiers then. It was a sea of humanity. But today I am shocked to see this procession of bulletproof cars", said Ghulam Mohammad at Hazratbal.

Shops and business establishments remained open even in the Hazratbal and Naseem Bagh localities. Shopkeepers who were once strong supporters of the Sheikh were cursing the police for having blocked the roads. "They have put the people to a lot of inconvenience," complained one.

A police officer noted, "This procession reflects the vertical dip in the fortunes of the National Conference. It is no more a party of the masses."

Recently the Begum herself had, in her last interview, expressed dismay at the diminishing popularity of the National Conference in spite of the recent resolution on autonomy adopted by the state assembly.

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