Syed Mir Qasim (1921 - 12 December 2004) was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 1971 to 1975. Syed Mir Qasim's political career first began during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

, when he became a leader of the non-sectarian, pro-democracy

Quit Kashmir The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) is a regional political party in the Indian union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Founded as the ''All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference'' by Sheikh Abdullah and Chaudhry Ghulam A ...

political movement. His advocacy against the monarchical rule of Maharaja

Hari Singh Maharaja Sir Hari Singh (September 1895 – 26 April 1961) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Hari Singh was the son of Amar Singh and Bhotiali Chib. In 1923, following his uncle's death, Singh became ...

resulted in his imprisonment. After India's independence, Syed Mir Qasim was involved with the drafting of the

Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir was the legal Constitution which established the framework for the state government of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The constitution was adopted on 17 November 1956, and came into effect on 26 J ...

. He went on to serve in various State and Union positions. He is credited with having established the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

in Kashmir. He served as the

Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir was the title given to the head of government of Jammu and Kashmir. As per the Constitution of India, the Lieutenant Governor is the state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests wit ...

after the death of

Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq __NOTOC__ Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq (1912 – 1971) was an Indian politician, who served as the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 1964 to 1965, when the position was renamed to Chief Minister. He continued as the Chief Minister till his ...

. He resigned from the office in 1975 in order to pave the way for the return of

Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah (5 December 1905 – 8 September 1982) was an Indian politician who played a central role in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir Abdullah was the founding leader of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (later re ...

after the Indian Government reached an accord with the latter. In his autobiography, ''My Life and Times'', published in September 1992, Qasim provided interesting historical detail on the struggle of Kashmiris to throw off the yoke of monarchy in the princely state through the Quit Kashmir movement, as well as background on the issue of accession to India rather than choosing to join Pakistan. Qasim died in an ambulance near India Gate in New Delhi on 12 December 2004 at the age of 83. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried in the village of his birth, Dooru in Kashmir. His funeral was attended by thousands without incident. He was posthumously awarded the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

, India's third highest civilian award by Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam in 2005.

References

External links

*http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041214/j&k.htm#5 1921 births 2004 deaths Indian National Congress politicians from Jammu and Kashmir People from Jammu and Kashmir Kashmiri people Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in public affairs Chief ministers from Indian National Congress {{JammuKashmir-INC-politician-stub