Political Activities
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Abbas again opposed self-determination for the people of Kashmir. To silence him, he was arrested. After the Indira Gandhi-Sheikh Abdullah accord of February 1975, the Plebiscite Front ended and Sheikh Abdullah revived his National Conference. Ansari met Sheikh Abdullah in Kotla Lane, New Delhi and appealed to him not to let the sacrifices of Kashmiris go to waste. He told the Sheikh that Kashmiris had sacrificed a lot from 1947 to 1974 for self-determination and their sacrifices could not be exchanged for the Chief Ministership. Sheikh Abdullah, however, signed the accord with Indira Gandhi and became the Chief Minister of the State. He opposed this accord and described it as unacceptable to the people of the state. Consequent upon the signing of the accord, Abbas brought all the people of identical ideology on a single political platform and declared creation of Peoples United Front. The youth turned violently against Sheikh Abdullah and there was an uproar throughout the state against this breach of trust by the Sheikh. The Pakistani Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, call for a strike on 28 February to protest against the accord and due to the hard efforts of Peoples United Front the strike was total and telling.
The period from 1975 to 1985 witnessed the continuous struggle of Abbas against New Delhi and the regime in Kashmir. Abbas was opposition leader when it was mandatory for a politician to seek blessings from Sheikh Abdullah. During this period he always stood for the right of self-determination and launched a campaign against the liquor trade in Kashmir. The Government opposed these activities and Abbas was again detained and charged with mutiny and conspiracy against the Indian government. His trial occurred in a closed room in the central jail in Srinagar.
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