Ruhullah Mehdi, Rising Star of Kashmir’s Politics

It didn’t take long for Ruhullah Mehdi to speak up. His first speech in the Parliament was one of the most keenly watched in Kashmir following the long-drawn poll campaign for the parliamentary polls, where his entire campaign focused on Article 370, the release of Kashmiri prisoners, and the restoration of dignity of Kashmiris.

His maiden speech on June 26 brought cheers among his supporters, cutting across party lines in the Valley and beyond. In his parliamentary speech on Wednesday, he began by addressing the issues of Article 370 and the labelling of a Muslim MP as a terrorist. His speech provoked a visibly angry response from Speaker Om Birla, who advised Mehdi to familiarize himself with the House's proceedings before making such comments. Mehdi, however, remained unfazed.

"From Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, I congratulate you on being elected the Speaker again. From now on, I would like to ask that you don't belong to BJP, Congress, or Samajwadi Party. From now on, your only party is the Constitution of India.”

Mehdi then alluded to the Speaker's legacy, stating that his actions in handling both government and opposition voices would define his tenure.

"I hope that from today onwards, you will be its (the Constitution of India) custodian in this House - the highest institution of democracy. You will be remembered not for the G20, but for whether you compelled the Treasury benches to listen to the Opposition or silenced the Opposition.”

The NC MP didn't stop there. "You (Birla) will be remembered for how you handle situations when a Muslim MP is called a terrorist in the Lok Sabha. If an MP is accused of being a terrorist in this biggest institution of democracy, then those Muslims will be also called terrorists on the streets."

Mehdi criticized the swift passage of the bill to revoke Article 370 on August 5, 2019, saying, "India is the largest democracy in the world and the 370 bill was brought in a minute, and it was passed in half an hour."

There is excitement in the Valley over Mehdi’s speech. Even his opponents are in awe. Former Chief Minister of J&K and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti reflected the mood: “Congratulations to Aga Ruhullah on his fantastic maiden speech. Speaking truth to power doesn’t come easy. It is time that Kashmiris are heard on the floor of the Parliament,” she wrote on X.

Since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, Mehdi's voice has been the strongest among all NC leaders in opposing the move. From other parties, Iltija Mufti initially took the lead, and after her release in October 2020 following 15 months of imprisonment, Mehbooba Mufti has been at the forefront, addressing issues including abrogation of Article 370, dignity, new land and domicile rules, and other related concerns.

On July 28, 2020, when Mehdi resigned as chief spokesperson of the National Conference, he took to “X”: “I have sent across my resignation from the post of Chief Spokesperson of JKNC. From here on, none of my statements should be considered as such.”

The trigger for the resignation seemed to be the views of party Vice President Omar Abdullah, who had stated that Article 370 of the Indian Constitution would be fought in court and restoration of statehood would be demanded.

Ruhullah contradicted Omar saying what happened on August 5, 2019 is beyond statehood. “The restoration of statehood should be the least of the demands. It should be the last demand. Our main demand should be the restoration of special status,” he had said calling the stand as reconciliation.

In 2015, Mehdi was nominated as the Chief Spokesperson of the National Conference. However, after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, he had distanced himself from the party’s stand, accusing it of maintaining silence over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir after August 5.

Knowing well his stand, the NC didn’t give up on him. The party even nominated him as a candidate from the Srinagar constituency, where Dr Farooq Abdullah contested in the previous election.

He has consistently stated that the parliamentary election was not about developmental issues but the restoration of dignity. He has been saying people in J&K are facing an existential crisis. During a recent election campaign, Mehdi would say he saw more sentiment than enthusiasm among people as they were not allowed to speak freely since August 5, 2019. He described the election as significant, saying that it was the first important election after August 5, 2019, for the parliament where the dignity of J&K was snatched, the state was divided, and the people of J&K were reduced to second-class citizens.

He would say that the Parliament should know that the decisions it took on August 5, 2019, were “completely undemocratic and the people of J&K had no participation and no role to play in that decision-making.” “This is the institution where we need to take that sentiment, expression, and opinion. Through that, I intend to take this expression to the rest of India,” he said in one of his speeches.

Now five years down the line, from the first day in the parliament, he set the tone for him and perhaps for his party. From Poonch to Srinagar, Ruhullah Mehdi is receiving praise for his speech. Social media reflects a wide debate, with people being critical of former MPs, including Dr. Farooq Abdullah, accusing them of remaining silent at a critical juncture in Kashmir's history after the abrogation of Article 370 in the parliament. One post on Facebook reads, “The people of Srinagar and Budgam constituency have sent a better representative to Parliament.” It indicates, that Mehdi, often referred to as an "influential leader," has transcended the deeply rooted sectarian politics of the region and is widely viewed as a leader for all Kashmiris.

While NC Vice President Omar Abdullah recently said that his party's views and Ruhullah Mehdi's views are in sync, the only difference is in their articulation, it remains to be seen how the party uses the rising popularity of Mehdi and whether Mehdi’s parliamentary speeches would be made a poll plank in the coming election to confront another strong voice in North Kashmir, Engineer Rashid.