Outspoken J&K politicians maintain silence over controversy of Padma award to Ghulam Nabi Azad

At a time when Padma Bhushan award to veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has stirred up a hornet’s nest across the political-spectrum of the country, outspoken mainstream politicians of Jammu and Kashmir have surprisingly maintained silence over the issue.

Azad, who was given India’s third highest civilian award, by the Modi-government on Republic Day, is part of Congress’ group of 23 leaders (G-23), that wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020, seeking internal reforms.

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There has been no word from any politician from J&K neither in favour nor against Azad so far. Even usually outspoken J&K Congress unit politicians -- both belonging to pro-Azad and anti-Azad camp -- have not made their views public over the subject.

A senior J&K Congress leader said that they were in a fix as it was difficult to comment on the emerging situation. “Both the BJP and Azad do politics intelligently. The fluid political situation in J&K for the last three years is such that it is difficult for anybody to either come in support or oppose the move,” he told DH.

“We know that central leadership, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, have not greeted Azad which is a clear indication as to what it (Padma Bhushan award) means for the overall interests of the party. But yet nobody in J&K Congress is in a position to come out openly like several central leaders have,” he said and added Azad, as a shrewd politician, wants his bread to be buttered from both sides.

However, another J&K Congress leader while defending Azad for accepting the award said, “Those who advise Azad should have returned the award like former Bengal Chief Minister Buddhdeb Bhattacharjee should first understand the politics of J&K. We have been caught in a different situation for the last three years and Azad sahib is the only hope who can bring people of J&K out of the current mess,” he said.

“If he (Azad) would have declined the award, it would have been a direct confrontation with the Centre which would not have been in the best interests of J&K.
A few voices have also resonated like Karan Singh, a senior Congress leader and son of the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. “If one of our colleagues is honoured, he should be greeted with warm appreciation rather than snide remarks,” he remarked.

Azad is the second Congressman to receive a Padma award. In 2008, former President of India Pranab Mukherjee was given Padma Vibhushan by the government where he was a minister. He received the Bharat Ratna award in 2019.

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