POPULAR NAMES OF PERSONALITIES
Jammu-Kashmir is a unique Union Territory and its citizen show their brilliance in various fields. Some noted among them are:
AMAR NATH KAK
Amar Nath Kak was a prominent Kashmiri lawyer and author. His most important books are ‘Hamara Vrittanta’ and ‘the Gayatri’, both written in Hindi. He was the elder brother of Kashmiri archaeologist and politician Ram Chandra Kak. ‘Hamara Vrittanta’ is a mine of information on the social and religious life of Kashmiri Pandits in the first half of the 20th century. It also presents the drama of the war between India and Pakistan.
ANUPAM KHER
Anupam Kher is an established actor of Hindi films. He is a Kashmiri Brahmin. He has acted in nearly two hundred Bollywood films including several English films.
ABDUL GHANI LONE
Abdul Ghani Lone was a lawyer turns politician who for most of his professional career worked as Kashmiri separatist. He was assassinated on May 21, 2002, while commemorating the 12th anniversary of the Kashmiri leader, Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq. He made his first entry into politics serving in the state assembly as a Congress candidate in 1967. In 1978, he formed a Kashmir separatist organization called the ‘People’s Conference’ dedicated to “the restoration of ‘internal autonomy’ in Kashmir”.
AYATOLLAH AGHA SYED YOUSUF AL MOOSAVI
Ayotollah Agha Syed Yousuf Al-Moosavi was a Kashmiri religious scholar and leader of Shia sect of Muslims. He founded the ‘Anjuman-e-Sharia’ organization which remains influential under his successors. Agha sahib, as he was popularly known, was a charismatic leader, a social reformer, a visionary, an educationist, a scholar.
DINANATH NADIM
Dinanath Nadim was a prominent Kashmiri poet of 20th century. With Dinanath Nadim’s poetry, a new phase was introduced in Kashmiri various poetic styles into Kashmiri. He was the first Kashmiri poet to write in ‘blank verse’. He used the Kashmiri language with great grace and craftsmanship. He depicted the beauty, the poverty and the plight of Kashmir in his poetry. Nadim has also composed poetry in folk style. In 1971, He received the Soviet Land Nehru Award (1971) and the Sahitya Natak Academy Award (1986) for his book ‘Shihil Kul’ (poetry).
FAROOQ ABDULLAH
Farooq Abdullah is the son of Sheikh Abdullah and has served as Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir on several occasions since 1982. He was a cabinet minister in Manmohan Singh government.
GHULAM RASOOL SANTOSH
Gulam Rasool Santosh was a prominent Kashmiri painter. He was best known for his themes inspired by ‘Kashmir Shaivism’. His paintings are known for the vibrancy of colours, neat lines, spiritual energy and sensuousness. Santosh also wrote plays, poetry and essays in Kashmiri language.
GULAM NABI AZAD
Gulam Nabi Azad is a politician from the Indian National Congress. He was the Parliamentary Affaris Minister of India in the Manmohan Singh goverment until October 27, 2005, when he was appointed as the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir.
JAFFER ALI
Jaffer Ali was a world-renowned papier-mache artist and entrepreneur from Hussanabad, Srinagar, Kashmir. Jaffer Ali received numerous awards, including one from Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for his exemplary work in promoting Kashmiri handicrafts. His skills in the art descended through his grandfather who brought the papiermache trade to Kashmir from Mashad, Iran.
KALHANA
Kalhana, a Kashmiri Brahmin was the celebrated author of ‘Rajatarangini’ based on Kashmiri history. He wrote this book during AD 1147-49. Kalhana is regarded to be Kashmir’s first historian. ‘Rajatarangini’ is one of the most valuable sources of Indian history.
KSHEMRAJA
Kshemraja was a philosopher and a disciple of Abhinav Gupta. He wrote original works of ‘Kashmir Shaivism’.
MEHRAJUDDIN WADOO
Mehrajuddin Wadoo is a footbal player of the state. He was also the member of the Indian national team. At the club level, he plays for East Bengal. Mehrajuddin started out as a striker but then shifted to the defence, now he has leapt to the midfield position, where his stature came to help him settle in. He started out with Jammu & Kashmir Police and with the pasage of time boarded HAL, ITI, Sporting Club de Goa, Mohun Bagan and now for East Bengal.
MUFTI MOHAMMAD SAYEED
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was a politician in Jammu & Kashmir who was the Chief Minister from 2002 to 2005 and 2015 to 2016. He led the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a Jammu & Kashmir based party which he formed in July, 1999, to persuade the Government of India to initiate an unconditional dialogue with Kashmiris for resolution of the Kashmir problem.
MEHBOOBA MUFTI SAYEED
Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed is the President of the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). She is the daughter of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir.
MJ AKBAR
MJ Akbar is a leading journalist and author. He is the founder and former editor-in-chief and managing director of ‘The Asian Age’. He has written several non-fiction books.
MUZAMMIL IBRAHIM
Muzammil Ibrahim is a model, originally from state of Jammu & Kashmir. He won the Gladrags Manhunt Contest in 2003. He also won the Rashtrapati Award for bravery (1994) for saving a boy from drowning in 1992.
OMAR ABDULLAH
Omar Abdullah is the son of Farooq Abdullah and grandson of Shiekh Abdullah. He was minister in Atal Behari Vajpayee’s government. He was reelected as President of National Conference for a 2nd term in 2006. He was the chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir.
PRAN KISHORE KAUL
Pran Kishore Kaul is a famous Kashmiri stage personality. In addition to acting, he has directed and written screenplays. He was bestowed an award from the Sahitya Natak Academy for his novel Sheen TV Walu Pod. He was one of the founders of the Miltsar Kashmir Music and Dance Group, a group that travels widely with the goal of supporting Kashmiri and Indian arts.
PANDIT BHAJAN SOPORI
Pandit Bhajan Sopori is a Hindustani instrumental composer from Kashmir. Santoor maestro, Pandit Bhajan Sopori comes from a family of musicians of ‘Sufiyana Gharana’ of Kashmir and Santoor is what he inherited from his predecessors. He has performed for leading cultural association, Radio Sangeet Sammelans and other National Programmes of Radio and Doordarshan and has received many awards of merit for his musical excellence. Shri Bhajan Sopori is also a music director of repute having produced several musical productions and has composed music for songs in various Indian languages. He has also composed music for operas, telefilms, serials and documentaries.
PN DHAR
PN Dhar was Principal Secretary to Mrs. Indira Gandhi Prime Minister’s office during the tumultuous days of the Emergency (1973-77) and, therefore, he had much influence in the unfolding of those events. He was also a professor of Economics at Delhi University, and for many years Director of the Institute of Economic Growth.
SWAMI LAKSHMAN JOO
Swami Lakshman Joo was a famed mystic and scholar of ‘Kashmir Shaivism’. He was known as ‘Lal Sahib’ or ‘Friend of God’ by followers and considered by them to be a fully realized saint.
SHEIKH MOHAMMED ABDULLAH
Shiekh Mohammed Abdullah popularly known as ‘Sher-e-Kashmir’ was the leader of the National Conference, Kashmir’s largest political party, and one of the most important plitical figures in the modern history of Jammu & Kashmir. He did his Masters in Chemistry and joined Government Service as teacher, but later resigned and spearheaded popular movement for democratic rights of people, founding the Muslim Conference (name, later changed to National Conference) in AD 1931. He agitated against the rule of the Maharaja Hari Singh, and urged self-rule for Kashmir. He was the Prime Minister of Jammu & Kashmir State soon after its controversial provisional accession to India in 1947, and was later jailed and exiled. He again became the Chief Minister of the State following 1974 Indira-Sheikh accord and remained in the top slot still his death on September 8, 1982.
SYED MIR QASIM
Syed Mir Qasim was the Chief Minister of Kashmir during AD 1971-75 and well respected throughout India as a gentleman politician and statesman. Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh described Syed Mir Qasim as a ‘great nationalist who worked selflessly in public interest and for peace and development in Jammu & Kashmir’. Syed Mir Qasim’s political career first began during India’s freedom struggle against Britain, when he became a leader of the non-sectarian, prodemocracy Quit Kashmir political movement. His advocacy against monarchical rule resulted in his imprisonment as a political prisoner by the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh. After India’s independence, Syed Mir Qasim drafted the Kashmiri Constitution and went on to serve in various State and Union positions. Syed Mir Qasim most famously offered to resign from the Chief Ministership in order to encourage and institutionalize the landmark Indira Gandhi-Sheikh Abdullah Accord in AD 1975. He was posthumously awarded India’s highest civilian award in AD 2005.
• Spiritual Personalities
Sheikh-ul- Alam Alamdar-e-Kashmir- Charari Sharief Kashmir
Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi Kashmiri Srinagar, Kashmir
Syed Baha-ud-Din Naqshband.-Srinagar. Kashmir
Shah Asrar-ud-Din-Kishtawar, Jammu
Syed Janbaz Wali-Aishmuqam Kashmir.
Syed Yaqoob Saheb-Srinagar, Kashmir.
Baba Payam-ud-Din Reshi- Gulmarg, Kashmir.
Bul Bul Shah-Bulbul Lanker, Kashmir.
Syed Mirak Shah Kashani-Srinagar, Kashmir.
Mata Vaishno Devi-Katra, Jammu.
Mata Sharika Devi-Hariparbat-Kashmir
Mata Ropa Bhavani-Kashmir.
Mirwaiz (Top Religious Seat)
Mirwaiz Moulvi Ghulam Ahmad
Mirwaiz Moulvi Ghulam Rasool
Mirwaiz Moulvi Yousuf Shah
Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq Mirwaiz Moulvi Umer Farooq
Philosophers
Anandavardhana
Kshemaraja
Krishnadasa
Abhinavagupta
Somananda
Bhatta Kallata
Bhaskara
Vasugupta
Utpaladeva
Historians
Kalhana, 12th century
Jonaraja, 15th century
Shrivara, 15th century
Prajna Bhatta, 16th century
Gopi Krishna, 17th century
Swami Lakshman Joo, 17th century
Hassan Shah Kashmiri, 18th century
Politicians
Padma Sachdev
Jawaharlal Nehru, First prime minister of India
Indira Gandhi, Prime minister of India, daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru
Rajiv Gandhi, Prime minister of India, son of Indira Gandhi, grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru
Ghulam Ahmad Ashai, Educationist, Leader and Reformist
Tej Bahadur Sapru, Politician and lawyer
Kailash Nath Katju, Politician and lawyer
Ram Chandra Kak, Archaeologist and politician
Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, Ex Governor Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, Minister of State Railways India.
Shaikh Abdullah, First Prime Minister of J&K.
Syed Mir Qasim, Chief Minister, J&K.
Film Makers
Arun Kaul
Ved Rahi
Sanjay Kak
Sagar Sarhadi
Siddharth Kak
Mani Kaul
Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Ashok Pandit
Leading Journalists and Columnists
Mulkh Raj Saraf- Father of Journalism in J&K
Rashid Taseer
Sofi Mohi-ud-Din.
Khwaja Sonaullah Bhat.
Ved Bhasin
Ghulam Nabi Khayal
Sofi Ghulam Muhammad.
Shamim Ahmad Shamim
Muhammad Shaban
Vakil Ahmad
Ali Fayaz
Muzamil Jaleel
Tariq Bhat
Sameer Kaul
Lalit Kaul
M.K.Teng
Bashir Ahmed Bashir
Yusuf Jameel
Altaf Hussain
Zaffar Meraj
Haroon Rasheed
Bansi Pandit
Majid Jehangeer
Ahsan ul Haque
Aijaz ul Haq
Riyaz Wani
Syed Ali Safvi
Naseer Ahmad
Bilal Bhat
Mufti Islah
Nazir Masoodi
Showkat Mota
Syeda Atshana
Muhammad Sidiq
Bilal Waza
Sameer Arshad
