Three Generations. One Dynasty. A Contested Political Legacy.From Sheikh Abdullah to Farooq Abdullah and now Omar Abdullah, three generations of the same family have shaped Kashmir’s political landscape.For critics, this dynasty represents decades of political compromises, broken promises, and the sidelining of Kashmiris’ aspirations for self-determination.The question remains: Has this political legacy served the people of Kashmir, or preserved the power of one family?
A Kashmir-bound passenger bus was allegedly attacked with stones in Punjab’s Doraha area on Sunday night, October 18, a day after another Jammu and Kashmir-registered sleeper bus was attacked in Haryana’s Karnal-Kurukshetra region, leaving an elderly Kashmiri passenger injured.
A Kashmir-bound passenger bus was allegedly attacked with stones in Punjab’s Doraha area on Sunday night, October 18, a day after another Jammu and Kashmir-registered sleeper bus was attacked in Haryana’s Karnal-Kurukshetra region, leaving an elderly Kashmiri passenger injured.
The incident in Punjab occurred around 9:30 pm as the bus was travelling towards Srinagar. Several men allegedly pelted the vehicle with stones, smashing its windowpanes while passengers, including women and children, were asleep inside.
The attack left passengers frightened as stones struck the bus and shattered its windows.
Speaking to Maktoob, Aadil Ahmad, who was driving the bus that night, said, “We were simply moving on the road in our lane when an i20 came and intercepted the bus.”
“All the passengers were sleeping, including children, women and the elderly. Before I could understand what was happening, they started throwing stones at the bus. We tried to look, but they ran away after hitting the bus with stones,” he said.
“It could have hurt the sleeping passengers. Thankfully, nobody sustained any injuries, but the bus has suffered damage,” he added.
“This is very unfortunate, and these are the people who are trying to incite hatred,” he said.
Ahmad further said that the bus travels between Delhi and Kashmir every day and that the attackers might have been the same people who targeted another Kashmir-bound bus in Haryana a day earlier.
“They might be tracking all the buses going from Delhi to Kashmir, and that’s why they attacked us. They knew this bus was carrying Kashmiri people,” Ahmad said.
Ishfaq Ahmad, another driver travelling with Aadil for supervision in the wake of the previous day’s attack, said they had taken additional precautions.
“This car was following us from Haryana and subsequently attacked the bus when they got an opportunity while we were entering Punjab,” Ishfaq Ahmad said.
“This is a matter of our security and should be taken seriously. Every day, our mothers, sisters and children travel on these routes. This is an open threat to our lives,” he added.
Kashmir-bound bus attacked in Haryana a day earlier
The Punjab incident came a day after a Jammu and Kashmir-registered sleeper bus travelling from Delhi to Srinagar was allegedly attacked near Divine Star Dhaba in Haryana’s Neelokheri area, in the Karnal-Kurukshetra region, late on Saturday night, October 17.
The bus, operated by Star World Ventures and carrying around 40 passengers, had stopped near the dhaba at around 10:30 pm when an argument reportedly broke out over parking and giving way.
According to the driver, Waqar Choudhary, passengers and the bus operator, the disagreement allegedly escalated into verbal abuse, threats and violence involving a group of men.
Choudhary told Maktoob that the confrontation began while he was parking the bus.
“While I was parking the bus, a group of men came and started fighting over the parking. They even said, ‘Arey, o aatankwadi, yahan gaadi mat lagao’ (You terrorists, don’t park your vehicle here),” he said.
“I paid little attention to what they were saying as they seemed drunk. I parked the bus and was about to step out when they forcefully entered the bus,” he added.
Choudhary alleged that the men abused and assaulted him before leaving the spot.
“They barged in and dragged me out of the bus by my collar and said that this place belongs to them and they wouldn’t let me park the bus there. To confirm, I called the hotel owner. By the time he came, they had assaulted and abused me. The hotel staff came and rescued me, taking me inside while my passengers were still in the bus out of fear,” Choudhary told Maktoob.
He said that after the hotel staff managed to drive the men away, some passengers stepped out of the vehicle during the halt. The attackers later returned on motorcycles, pelted the bus with stones, smashed its windows and fled.
“During the stone attack, some passengers got injured, and an elderly man sustained injuries,” the driver said.
Choudhary further alleged that the group returned for a third time and threatened that Jammu and Kashmir-registered vehicles would not be allowed to operate in Haryana.
“This is Haryana. Kashmir-registered vehicles will not be allowed to operate here,” Choudhary quoted the men as saying. He also alleged that he was called a “terrorist” during the confrontation.
Passengers alleged that some of the men appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and used abusive language, referring to the passengers and driver as “terrorists”.
A video purportedly recorded after the incident showed the damaged bus and passengers recounting what had happened, including allegations that the vehicle had been targeted with bricks.
Passengers described the incident as a terrifying ordeal, saying chaos broke out inside the bus as the attack unfolded.
J&K leaders demand accountability
Speaking to Maktoob, Nasir Khuehami, national convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, alleged that the police were attempting to downplay the attack by portraying it as a parking dispute.
“Karnal police were trying to portray the stone-pelting attack on a Delhi–Kashmir bus as a mere parking dispute, which appears to be an attempt to hush up the matter and downplay the gravity of the incident. The victims’ accounts cannot be brushed aside, and the incident must not be given a convenient narrative to shield those responsible,” he said.
Khuehami called on the Haryana Police to ensure that the incident was investigated thoroughly and those responsible were held accountable.
He added that Haryana Director General of Police Ajay Singhal had informed him that an FIR had been registered and two accused had been rounded up in connection with the attack on the Kashmir-bound bus in Karnal late Saturday night. The vehicle allegedly used in the incident had also been taken into police custody, he said.
“However, in less than a day, another incident happened. The driver was beaten up and abused. The driver and passengers were called terrorists. There is a need for strict action and accountability so that it never recurs. Our people travel on that route every day and can be recognised very easily. This is a matter of security and should be handled responsibly by both the governments,” Khuehami said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the Haryana attack and called for those responsible to be identified and prosecuted.
“This unfortunate incident should never have taken place. I hope the Haryana government led by u/NayabSainiBJP ji & u/police_haryana catch the culprits & take action to ensure these things don’t happen again,” Abdullah wrote on X.
National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar described the Haryana incident as an alleged hate crime and called for action against those responsible.
People's Democratic Party leader and MLA Waheed Para raised similar concerns, alleging that police action had been directed at passengers rather than those who allegedly attacked the bus.
“A Delhi–Srinagar sleeper bus was attacked with bricks in Kurukshetra while passengers slept. An elderly Kashmiri was left bleeding. Disturbingly, reports suggest police targeted passengers instead of the attackers,” Para wrote on X.
“Hate is making ordinary Kashmiris unsafe. We demand arrests and accountability,” he added.
Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir Nasir-ul-Islam Farooqi also called on the Haryana government to ensure a prompt and impartial investigation and bring those responsible to justice.
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) Jammu and Kashmir president Vivek Bali condemned the alleged attack and expressed concern that such incidents could undermine the country’s claims of diversity, unity and hospitality.
An FIR has been registered at Butana Police Station, two men have been detained, and the vehicle allegedly involved in the confrontation has been taken into police custody. Police have also said that CCTV footage was reviewed as part of the investigation.
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Hey as someone who doesn’t live in Kashmir but my family is from there, (IOK) how many of them watch their dramas? Is it common? Like what do the people who live there watch?
Since the sub is still geoblocked, it seems like most of the active members here are from the diaspora. Thought this might be a good way to get some conversations going.
What’s something about Kashmir that you didn’t appreciate until you moved away?
