An able administrator

Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Jagmohan passed away in the wee hours on Tuesday after a brief illness, with President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing condolences. He was 93 and is survived by wife Uma Jagmohan and children Dipika and Rajiv Kapoor.

Paying tributes to the former minister, President Kovind said, “In the demise of Jagmohan ji, the nation has lost a unique town planner, able administrator and man of letters. His administrative and political career was marked by unparalleled brilliance.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered Jagmohan’s legacy noting, “Jagmohan ji’s demise is a monumental loss for our nation. He was an exemplary administrator and a renowned scholar. He always worked for the betterment of India. His ministerial tenure was marked by innovative policy making.” The Jammu and Kashmir administration announced a three-day state mourning from Tuesday to Thursday. Born on September 25, 1927, in Hafizabad in undivided India, Jagmohan went on to serve as the LG of Delhi, LG of Goa, Daman and Diu, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha (1990 to 1996) and was three-time Lok Sabha MP.

Before entering politics, he was known for his proximity to the Gandhi family and cleared some Delhi slums during the Emergency — a move that was learnt to have cost then PM Indira Gandhi dearly in the 1977 Lok Sabha elections.

Jagmohan’s most memorable stint was as Jammu and Kashmir Governor first from 1984 to 1989 and again in 1990.

During his first tenure, he oversaw several development works in the erstwhile state, with the Centre announcing plans to extend the Indian Railways into the Valley, the long delayed 345 MW Salal hydro-power project getting commissioned and international subscriber dialing coming to JK.Jagmohan’s gubernatorial tenure coincided with the rise of militancy following the controversial 1987 elections in which the NC and the Congress won, and the Muslim United Front was defeated. Many Kashmiri families to date credit him for saving their lives. Reappointed the J&K Governor in January 1990 by VP Singh, Jagmohan was abruptly recalled in May that very year.

On return, he came close to the BJP and defeated actor Rajesh Khanna from New Delhi LS seat in 1996 and later Indira Gandhi’s factotum RK Dhawan in 1998 and 1999. Jagmohan s lost the seat to Congress’ Ajay Maken in 2004. He later served as minister in the NDA government handling communications, urban development, tourism and culture. Though Jagmohan authored many books, “My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir” ran into several editions and translated into 11 regional languages. He was among the few luminaries the BJP engaged after abrogating Article 370. — TNS