Ghulam Hassan Pinglana

Ghulam Hassan Mir Pinglana (died April 9, 1996) was a Indian ex-politician killed by unknown gunman in his home village of Pinglana, Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir.

Born in Pinglana, he started his career as a leader of Shahoora agitation committee which protested against the state govt's apathy towards the shahoora region which now forms a part of Pulwama district.He wa subsequently elected as a member of upper house(legislative council) of Jammu and Kashmir assembly.He was a frontline leader of the National conference party of ex prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir,Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad .However when Bakshi dissolved his party and joined Indian national Congress ,he(Gh.Hassan) became the first elected district President of Jammu Kashmir pradesh congress comitee's Pulwama unit. He was later promoted and remained state vice President of JKPCC until he resigned from it in 1989 in protest agaist the use of brutal force by then governer Jagmohan agaist the people of Kashmir who where demanding freedom from Indian occupation. The state govt.accused him of supporting pro independence organisations like Jamat-e-Islami and Hizbul Mujahideen and arrested him twice in 1992 and 1993.He was considered to be very people friendly politician and a social worker.He helped people of his impovershed constituency to get govt.jobs,schools,roads and potable drinking water----the work for which he is even now being remembered by local people. He was a member of Indian good will mission to Saudi Arabia in 1989.

In April 1996 he was murdered at his home in a wave of pre-election violence by unknown gunman. Amnesty International reported that he was killed "allegedly by the Hizbul Mujahideen" ["Human rights abuses in the election period in Jammu and Kashmir", Amnesty International, ASA 20/39/96, September 1996 [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA200391996?open&of=ENG-346] .] .However the speratist organisations refuted this charge and blamed the pro-India renegades and the then governer of Jammu and Kashmir for his murder. He was in his early seventies.His colleagues and followers blame the state police department for not investigating his murder.He was not even provided the security by the state Govt.despite known threats to his life.

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Born in a very influencial family of land lords he joined and led the famous Shahoora agitation against the apathy of the Govt. towards this area of Jammu and Kashmir.He was as a member of legislative council of Jammu and kashmir in early sixties.In 1979 he became president elect of the district congress committee Pulwama.He was very popular with the people as he was considered a very helpful politician.In 1988 he became vice president of Jammu and Kashmir predesh congress committee(JKPCC).He was a member of Indian good will mission to Saudiarabia in 1989.In 1990 he resigned from congress in protest against the use of brutal force by Indian govt. to deal with pro-freedom demonstrations in Kashmir.He was arrested twice during turmoil in Kashmir for his alleged support to pro-freedom parties particularly jamat-e-islami and hizbul mujahideen.In 1996 he was assasinated by some unknown gunmen in his native village Pingana.The govt blamed sepratist organisation hizbul mujahideen for his killing,however all sepratist organisations condemned his assasination and blamed the then governer of Jammu and kashmir for it.His death was widely condemened and mourned by people.He is remembered for his social work in pulawama district.