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www.GOALias.blogspot.com154 Politics in India since IndependenceCredit: Hindustan TimesSheikhMohammadAbdullah(1905-1982):Leader of Jammuand Kashmir;proponent ofautonomy andsecularism forJammu and Kashmir; led thepopular struggle against princelyrule; opposed to Pakistan due toits non-secular character; leaderof the National Conference; PrimeMinister of J&K immediatelyafter its accession with India in1947; dismissed and jailed byGovernment of India from 1953 to1964 and again from 1965 to 1968;became Chief Minister of the Stateafter an agreement with IndiraGandhi in 1974.the infiltrators from Kashmir valley, but only after theMaharaja had signed an ‘Instrument of Accession’ withthe Government of India. It was also agreed that once thesituation normalised, the views of the people of J&K willbe ascertained about their future. Sheikh Abdullah tookover as the Prime Minister of the State of J&K (the headof the government in the State was then called PrimeMinister) in March 1948. India agreed to maintain theautonomy of Jammu and Kashmir.External and internal disputesSince then, the politics of Jammu and Kashmir alwaysremained controversial and conflict ridden both forexternal and internal reasons. Externally, Pakistan hasalways claimed that Kashmir valley should be part ofPakistan. As we noted above, Pakistan sponsored a tribalinvasion of the State in 1947, as a consequence of whichone part of the State came under Pakistani control. Indiaclaims that this area is under illegal occupation. Pakistandescribes this area as ‘Azad Kashmir’. Ever since 1947,