Beyond Victory and Defeat

In response to my recent blog, in which I reflected on how the latest episode of dissent within the National Conference transported me nearly five decades back to my earliest days in journalism, I recalled watching another leadership challenge unfold within the party and listening to Dr. Farooq Abdullah address the media after meeting a group of dissatisfied legislators. The experience revived memories of a defining period in Jammu and Kashmir's political history and of the lessons it offered a young reporter trying to understand the often-unpredictable nature of politics.

In that blog, I wrote that Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg's rebellion remains one of the more revealing chapters in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir. It exposed both the vulnerability and resilience of political organisations and underscored how swiftly political loyalties can shift when power equations change. For me, witnessing those developments from close quarters was an unforgettable lesson, not only in politics but also in the craft of journalism.

After reading the blog, Beg Sahab's son Dr. Mehboob Beg offered a thoughtful and nuanced response that added another dimension to the story. “How many MLAs stood by Sheikh Sahib when he was dismissed and stripped of power in 1953?” he asked. “History bears witness to a bitter truth: MLAs tend to side with power.” In a single observation, he challenged the tendency to judge political episodes solely by their eventual outcome and drew attention to the realities that often shape political behaviour.

Recalling those turbulent days, Dr. Beg spoke of his father's first major public rally at Srinagar's Gol Bagh following the split. Despite attempts by opponents to disrupt the gathering, an unexpectedly large crowd turned up, a sign, in his view, that the movement had generated genuine public sympathy and support. He also reflected on the personal cost of that political estrangement. The prolonged strain and disappointment, he noted, were followed by a debilitating stroke from which Beg Sahib never fully recovered before his passing in June 1982.

He wrote, "How many MLAs stood by Sheikh Sahib when he was dismissed and stripped of power in 1953?History bears witness to a bitter truth: MLAs tend to side with power.

I remember that day at Gol Bagh when it was filled to absolute capacity, and the crowds spilled over during Beg Sahib’s first major rally following his separation from Sheikh Sahib. That gathering was marked by tension as detractors had mobilised local elements and factions to disrupt it. Yet, the sheer weight of the turnout defied those attempts.

Shortly after that tumultuous period and the heavy burdens of political estrangement, Beg Sahib suffered a brain stroke from which he never truly recovered, leading to his passing on June 11, 1982."

Dr. Mehboob Beg's observations serve as a valuable reminder that political events are rarely remembered in only one way. Participants, supporters, opponents and observers often carry away very different recollections and interpretations. While history may ultimately record the rebellion as a failed political enterprise, those who were directly involved viewed it through a very different prism, one shaped by conviction, principle, sacrifice and, above all, personal loss.

That is perhaps the enduring challenge of writing contemporary history. Political outcomes may determine how events are recorded in official narratives, but they do not always capture the emotions, motivations and human experiences that lie beneath them. Revisiting these episodes decades later reminds us that history is not merely a chronicle of victories and defeats; it is also a repository of memories, perspectives and lived experiences that continue to shape how the past is understood.