Tajdar Babar no more; a look at veteran Congress leader's political journey [Obiturary]

Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir recalled the contribution of veteran party leader Tajdar Babar, who passed away in Delhi on Saturday.

Tajdar Babar was a native of the Kashmir Valley and had started his political career as a student leader from Srinagar-the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.

"It was during the time of late Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq that Tajdar Babar was active as a student leader in Srinagar", J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir told International Business Times while paying tributes to Tajdar Babar.

Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq had first served as the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 1964 to 1965, then Chief Minister of J&K from 1965 to 1971. Before 1965, the Chief Minister of J&K was called as Wazir-e-Azam. She was among the few females who had actively joined politics at that time in Kashmir Valley.

While recalling his interactions with Babar, Mir said that she was a native of the Dal Gate area of Srinagar. "For higher education, she went to Delhi and started actively participate in activities of Congress at Union Capital", Mir said and added that late Babar was very close to the Gandhi family.

Started her political career as a student leader from Srinagar

Former Union Minister and veteran politician of Jammu and Kashmir, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz recalled that Tajdar Babar had started her political career as a student leader from Srinagar. "She was a gentle politician, who was a dedicated and committed Congress soldier", Soz told International Business Times while paying tributes to the departed soul.

Being a native of Kashmir, she had affection and attachment with Valley, Soz said.

Veteran Congress leader Tajdar Babar passed away on October 2, Saturday. She was 85. Babar was the former president of the Delhi Congress Committee and was the mother of the former mayor of Delhi, Farhad Suri.

Babar was the veteran leader and was an MLA from the Minto road constituency, which later became part of the New Delhi Assembly.

The news of her demise was shared by the official Twitter handle of the Delhi Congress. In the tweet, they wrote that the former President of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee Tajdar Babar passed.

"My condolences to the family and friends of Smt. Tajdar Babar Ji. We remember her commitment towards the people of Delhi and the values of the Congress party", Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
Congress Party spokesperson Pawan Khera also shared a tweet in which he said that Tajdar Babar was a strong pillar of Delhi Congress for decades.

He further wrote that Babar's work for the most marginalized sections of society will always inspire. He concluded by saying his deepest condolences to Yasmini Kidwai and Farhad Suri.