'Mridulaben was put under house arrest for backing Sheikh Abdullah'

The role of Gujaratis in the modern history of Kashmir has rarely made headlines. However, a close look at various developments of the time reveals that among Gujaratis other than Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Sardar Patel, it was Mridula Sarabhai who played a key role in shaping the history of Kashmir. She extended her support to Sheikh Abdullah when he was arrested in the early 1950s allegedly for conspiracy against the state.

Though a member of the Congress and considered close to Jawaharlal Nehru, the daring Mirdulaben, daughter of Sheth Ambalal Sarabhai and sister of well-known scientist Vikram Sarabhai, openly criticised Abdullah’s arrest and suffered for that too. She was detained in Tihar Jail and later placed under house arrest for some time at her home in Ahmedabad. She died in this house in 1974.

The details of the role played by Mridula Sarabhai in the movement in Kashmir in the early years of Independence are documented in a book titled, ‘Kashmir and Sher-e-Kashmir: A revolution derailed’. The author of the book is PLD Parimoo, a native of Kashmir, who has done much research on the subject in recent times.

A whole section of the book is dedicated to Mridula Sarabhai’s role in the movement in Kashmir. Writing in this section, the author says: “The role played by this daring lady in attempts to get Sheikh Sahib exonerated of wild and baseless charges has unfortunately found disproportionately much lower exposure in the media than it deserved. However, it is pertinent to get better acquaintance with this earliest of Gandhi followers and champion of feminine rights, who had a clear perception of Kashmir issue right from its nascent stages.”

In an interview to DNA, the author said that Mridulaben was a remarkable woman whose work for communal harmony during Partition and later in support of Sheikh Abdullah was amazing.

“Despite the anger her stand generated in Delhi’s power corridors, Mridula devoted herself to Kashmir and stood by Sheikh Abdullah and his supporters even when they were accused of treason,” the author told DNA.

Parimoo is currently based in Ahmedabad. He has written two other books on the subject – ‘Kasmiriyat at crossroads’ and ‘Passion, power and perfidy’. The former focuses on contemporary socio-political history of Kashmir while the latter highlights the ancient cultural intercourse between Kashmir and other parts of the Indian subcontinent, including Afghanistan.