The fine art of collective healing
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was a towering figure in the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir — a visionary leader, a bridge-builder, and a statesman whose life was devoted to the pursuit of peace with dignity in one of India’s most complex and cherished regions.
Born in the historic town of Bijbehara, Anantnag, into a humble clerical family, Mufti Sahab rose through sheer perseverance, intellect, and an unyielding commitment to public service. Educated in law and Arabic from Aligarh Muslim University, he entered politics in the 1950s and went on to serve in numerous high offices: as a state minister, Union Minister of Tourism under Rajiv Gandhi, and India’s first Muslim Home Minister under V.P. Singh. Yet, it was his deep-rooted connection to Kashmir that defined his legacy.
In 1999, he founded the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alongside his daughter Mehbooba Mufti, creating a powerful regional voice that challenged the status quo and gave new hope to the people. His greatest contribution came during his tenures as Chief Minister — first from 2002 to 2005, and then briefly from March 2015 until his passing.
Mufti Sahab will forever be remembered for his path-breaking “Healing Touch” policy — a compassionate approach that sought to mend the wounds of conflict, restore human dignity, and rebuild trust between the people and the state. Through this vision, he emphasized humane governance, worked toward the rehabilitation of affected families, reduced the heavy footprint of security measures on daily life and penned historic cross-LoC routes, enabling trade, bus services, and family reunions between divided hearts on both sides of the Line of Control.
These bold steps during the India-Pakistan peace process brought a rare glimmer of normalcy and hope to a land weary of turmoil. He believed peace was not merely the absence of violence, but the presence of opportunity, dialogue, development, and mutual respect.
Even in his final term, Mufti Sahab demonstrated remarkable political courage by forging alliances across ideological divides, always with the larger goal of stability and progress for Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
His life was one of remarkable patience, strategic wisdom, and unwavering belief in a brighter future for Kashmir within the Indian union. As he once envisioned, he worked tirelessly to nurture a true participatory democracy and an Indian constituency rooted in dignity and inclusivity.
Though he left us on January 7, 2016, just days short of his 80th birthday, his legacy endures — in the PDP he founded, in the roads he opened, in the healing he sought to bring, and in the hearts of countless Kashmiris who still remember his gentle yet determined leadership.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was more than a politician; he was a bridge to hope in a fractured valley, a proponent of secular India, and a true son of Kashmir who dared to dream of peace with dignity.
May his soul rest in eternal peace. His vision continues to guide and inspire. Mufti Sahab — you live on in every effort toward reconciliation and healing.
Arif Laigroo is senior PDP leader.
