Shaikh Abdullah

Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah (1905 - 1982) was a prominent Kashmiri politician. His ancestors a few generations earlier were Kashmiri Pandit. As a student, he founded the Muslim Conference party in 1931, agitating against the rule of the Maharaja, and urging self-rule for Kashmir. He was popularly called Shere Kashmir (Lion of Kashmir). He married Akbar Jahan, the daughter of Harry Nedou, the European proprietor of a chain of hotels in India including Nedou's hotel in Srinagar, and his Kashmiri wife.

He became Kashmir’s prime minister in 1948 but resisted repeated Indian effort to integrate his state fully with India. In 1953 he was dismissed as prime minister and jailed for eleven years, accused of corruption and planning independence. He was later interned from 1965 to 1968 and exiled from Kashmir in 1971 for 18 months.

He returned to mainstream of Indian politics in 1975 after accord with Indira Gandhi, then India’s prime minister, by giving up demand for plebiscite. He now returned with the job of chief minister of Kashmir, which he held until his death. He was followed as chief minister by his son, Farooq Abdullah.

He was a spell-binding speaker in Kashmiri and Urdu. His autobiography in Urdu is entitled Atish-e-Chinar.