Sons of guns ready to fire?
By Faisul Yaseen
A fresh breed of political scions has arrived on the scene.
Carrying the legacy of their influential fathers, these “sons of guns” are poised to carve out their own space in Kashmir’s turbulent political landscape.
Each of these young politicians brings with them not only the weight of the family name but also freshness and a different kind of ambition that might mark the region’s future differently.
Generational Grace
Mian Mehar Ali, son of Member of Parliament Mian Altaf Ahmad, represents the fourth generation of his family into politics from Kangan.
His induction is more than just a mark of continuation from his family.
It is also an indication of the lasting influence the clan has among the community and in the region.
Having a strong base and roots in Kangan, Mehar is expected to continue with family tradition while at the same time tackle current challenges that the residents of his constituency are faced with.
New Blood, Old Roots
Salman Sagar, the son of National Conference (NC) General Secretary and former minister Ali Muhammad Sagar, is ready to further entrench his family’s hold in Kashmir’s political fabric.
Given that NC is an important force in the J&K mainstream politics, Salman’s rise in the party ranks means more years of service by the Sagar family to the ideals of the party.
His youthful energy and modern outlook may inject fresh blood into the NC’s playing approaches, making it more attractive to a younger target audience.
From Bureaucrat’s Heir to Political Player
Ahsan Pardesi, son of Ghulam Qadir Pardesi, enters the political arena with a track record of flexibility and a can-do attitude.
His father, a bureaucrat turned politician, was known for his versatility as a quick changer of political sides.
Ahsan’s foray into politics has been followed with interest ever since he started to be perceived as his father’s inheritor, who would either continue the pragmatism of his father or break new grounds in politics with greater ideological cohesion.
How well he can navigate the perilous political waters of Kashmir remains to be seen.
Political Poetry
Tanvir Sadiq, the son of politician-poet-environmentalist late Sadiq Ali, inherits not only a political legacy but a cultural one too.
Sadiq Ali was a senior leader in the NC and later joined Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Tanvir’s father had been close to NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, and that may have shaped his approach toward politics.
Tanvir could appeal to that section of voters who value both political acumen and cultural heritage.
Kar’s High Bar
Irshad Rasool Kar, the son of former Congress leader Ghulam Rasool Kar, is an extension of a storied political career.
However, his father’s extensive service in the J&K government and as a Working Committee member of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) – raises the bar high for Irshad.
Irshad has a sound knowledge of the political dynamics and influence that his father had and can help him in politics.
Following Footsteps
Sajad Shafi, son of Muhammad Shafi, will emulate the footsteps of the politician who represented the Uri assembly constituency for years.
The affiliation of his father to NC and his staunch commitment toward his constituency will surely give him a good foundation to which he can add his bricks.
The task ahead for Sajad now is to retain the faith of the die-hard supporters of his father and simultaneously rise to the existing needs of the people of Uri.
Badge to Ballot
Javid Reyaz Bedar is the son of a senior politician Ghulam Qadir Bedar.
A retired IPS officer, Bedar enters the political fray with a background steeped in politics, discipline, and public service.
The political background of his father and himself serving in the Police and then entering politics brings in a pretty out-of-the-ordinary perspective that Bedar has on governance and security.
As he enters the battlefield, it is time for him to balance his father’s legacy with the expectations of a new generation of voters.
The Speaker’s Successor
Hilal Akbar Lone is the son of former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Muhammad Akbar Lone.
He wears the mantle of an experienced politician with important assignments in the J&K government.
As his father served as a cabinet minister, Speaker, and later an MP, Hilal’s entry into politics is seen as the perpetration of an influential legacy.
Hilal’s success will lie in how well he steers his way through the labyrinthine complexities of the J&K political establishment.
Earning Their Stripes
NC spokesman Imran Nabi Dar, who himself carries the mantle of his late politician father Ghulam Nabi Dar told Greater Kashmir that all these second-generation politicians who are getting mandates had been working on the ground for years not because of their family legacy.
“Salman Sagar has already been the mayor of the city. These people are not getting anything on a platter. NC as a party wants a formidable face to win the seat. They secured respectable leads for the party in all their respective assembly constituencies.
That should be the parameter and that was the parameter. The party is confident that they will be able to replicate their success in the assembly polls,” he said.
Dilwar to Yawar
Yawar Mir, the son of Muhammad Dilawar Mir of the Apni Party, has already served Rafiabad constituency as a Member of the Legislative Assembly and carries the legacy of his father, who also served as a legislator from Rafiabad.
Daughter of Destiny
If sons rise, can a daughter be far behind?
Daughter of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and granddaughter of former Union Home Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, Iltija Mufti is perhaps the most high-profile of all the debutants.
With her articulate and forceful views on many issues, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370, Iltija has already made a mark on Kashmir’s political landscape.
However, she will have to carve her own space in politics much unlike the members of the Mehbooba’s kitchen cabinet of the past.
If she enters formal politics, it would undeniably change the course of the PDP.
STALWART SONS
Carrying the Abdullah Mantle
Former chief minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah is a third-generation politician whose father Farooq Abdullah has been a three-time chief minister, Member of Parliament, and union minister while grandfather and NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir popular for land reforms.
Maulana’s Heir
Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy is the son of former legislator Maulana Ataullah Suharwardy.
Though Khalid has established himself as a politician and already served as a legislator and minister, he brings a perfect blend of religious influence and political ambitions.
As his father was a former legislator and a religious figure, Khalid had that rare platform to start his political career.
Now Khalid faces the uphill task of balancing his religious heritage with the demands of modern politics in a region as diverse and complex as Jammu and Kashmir.
Sogami Legacy
Nasir Aslam Wani (Sogami) has also established himself in politics and served both as a legislator as well as a minister.
Wani is the son of late Bashir Ahmad Wani (Sogami), a former minister and Member of the Constituent Assembly.
Carrying the Torch
Tariq Hameed Karra, who has served as a legislator, a minister, and a Member of Parliament in the past carries the legacy of Ghulam Mohuiddin Karra, another member of the J&K Constituent Assembly and founder of Political Conference.
In a League of His Own
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Monga said that nobody other than the J&K Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra was a second-generation politician in JKPCC who would be contesting the assembly polls.
Pahalgam’s Pillar
Rafi Ahmad Mir is the son of Ghulam Ahmad Mir, a member of the J&K Constituent Assembly.
Rafi Mir is a political heavyweight who served as a legislator from Pahalgam.
A veteran in politics, he was associated with the NC and PDP in the past and is now a senior leader of the Apni Party.
Generational Shift
Rafi Mir’s son and Apni Party spokesman Imad Rafi said that in his party his father and Yawar Mir were the only two second-generation politicians who would contest the assembly polls.
Rebel to Ruler
Sajad Gani Lone, the son of former Congress legislator and Peoples Conference founder Abdul Gani Lone who was assassinated on May 21, 2002, has already served as a legislator and minister.
Lone delved deep into the mainstream politics of the region after years of being a separatist.
Cleric’s Child, Politician’s Prodigy
Imran Ansari, a noted Shia cleric, who served as a legislator and minister, is the son of four-time legislator and former minister Moulvi Iftikhar Ansari.
Earlier associated with PDP, Imran is now a close aide of Peoples Conference President Sajad Lone.
Tailpiece
The upcoming elections in the J&K Assembly can shape up to be a battleground where legacy, ambition, and the urge for change will collide as the mantle shifts onto a new generation of young politicians from their parents.
This new generation of politicians rooted in their familial legacies is ready to make its mark on the political landscape of Kashmir.
But will these politicians emerge to be leaders, only time will tell.
Greater Kashmir