Aga Syed Mehdi (19 February 1959 – 3 November 2000) was a prominent Shia cleric and politician from the Kashmir region. He belonged to the influential Aga family, known for their religious leadership within the Shia Muslim community. Aga Syed Mehdi played an important role in local politics and religious matters in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly advocating for the rights and interests of the Shia population. He was assassinated in an IED blast on Friday 3 November 2000.

Life and education

Aga Syed Mehdi was born in

Budgam Budgam (), known as Badgom (; ) in Kashmiri, is a town in Budgam district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. In the 2001 census, it was recorded as having a notified area committee,This gives the population of Budgam adga ...

, Kashmir into the prominent Aga family. He studied at Baab-ul-Ilm and subsequently received Maulawi Fazil from Jamia Bab-ul-Ilm, Budgam. He joined Anjuman E Sharie Shian as a member by the age of 22. He rose into prominence among the people for his philanthropic works. Later he joined

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

and participated in MP elections in 1998. During the time of 1990's

Kashmir insurgency The insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, also known as the Kashmir insurgency, is an ongoing separatist militant insurgency against the Indian administration in Jammu and Kashmir, a territory constituting the southwestern portion of the larger ...

, Shaheed Aga Syed Mehdi rescued many innocent youth from interrogation centers and army camps detained during crackdowns by Task Force and military.

Assassination and aftermath

On 3 November 2000, Aga Syed Mehdi was assassinated in a powerful IED blast on the way to

Magam Magam is a tehsil in central Kashmir's Beerwah sub-district. It is also a town, notified area committee, and a block in Budgam district in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is away from sub-district headquarter ...

along with his three security personnel and two supporters at Kanihama-Magam road, Central Budgam. The blast was so powerful the bullet-proof gypsy was ripped apart and blew occupants into pieces. The news of his assassination spread rapidly, the government of

Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...

and Kashmir imposed

curfew A curfew is an order that imposes certain regulations during specified hours. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to remain indoors during the evening and nighttime hours. Such an order is most often issued by public authorit ...

and section 144 crpc still hundreds and thousands joined his funeral including mainstream and majority of separatist leaders . During his funeral Kashmiri

pandit A pandit (; ; also spelled pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt. or Pdt.) is an individual with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge in Hinduism, particularly the Vedic scriptures, dharma, or Hindu philosophy; in colonial-e ...

women of Budgam were heard crying "''Bayo asi kus kari raech wain''" meaning "Brother who will protect us now." Shaheed Aga Syed Mehdi was laid to rest at Sarkaar's Shrine Budgam or

Aga Sahib Shrine Aga Sahib Shrine or Ziyarat e Sarkaar or Aga Mehdi Shrine is a religious place of Kashmiri Muslims located at Budgam. In this shrine there are many religious personalities buried include Ayatullah-ul- Uzma Aga Syed Mehdi Al-Mosvi Al-Safvi Al-Najaf ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aga Syed Mehdi, Shaheed 1959 births 2000 deaths People from Budgam district Kashmiri Muslims Indian Shia Muslims 20th-century Indian Muslims Indian National Congress politicians from Jammu and Kashmir 20th-century Indian politicians Politicians assassinated in 2000 Asian politicians assassinated in the 2000s Indian politicians assassinated in the 21st century