People’s Conference president Sajad Lone was among the notable absentees from the oath-taking ceremony of the new Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday.
The leader’s reasoning for his absence, however, prompted mass social media chatter and gave way to memes.
According to the information received two invitation cards — one from the lieutenant governor’s (L-G) office and another from chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah. He, however, used the Kashmiri words “hatak” and “keenae”, translating roughly to mean that he was upset, slighted or took offence quietly for not being invited properly. For the uninitiated, the words are commonly thrown when nosy relatives fail to attend weddings for want of a “proper” invitation.
Lone was during a press conference on Wednesday asked about his reason to skip the oath taking ceremony.
“I was invited. Invitation card had come from the L-G as well as from Omar Abdullah. But we were Kashmiris,” he said before switching to Kashmiri saying “We get upset/slighted (“keenae”). We should be properly invited by some person. The invitation was not a proper invitation, and I didn’t go. If they would have me invited properly, I would have gone for the ceremony.”
“I felt some ‘hatak’,” he said, when further pushed.
{{/usCountry}}“I felt some ‘hatak’,” he said, when further pushed.
{{/usCountry}}In Kashmiri weddings, people undertake extra caution to invite their close relatives personally instead of just sending out a wedding card.
Lone and Abdullah were often at loggerheads during Lok Sabha election campaigning as they contested against each other from Baramulla seat. The animosity bled into the assembly elections as well. While Lone’s People’s Conference managed to win just his home seat of Handwara, Abdullah’s NC swept the election with 42 seats.
Lone’s animated reasoning at the press conference triggered a flurry of memes.
Radio jockey Vijdan shared the video clip, captioning it, “A Kashmiri at every wedding”.
Netizens were quick to jump on the bandwagon, using Kashmiri folk music and satire to convey how Omar Abdullah should have responded. “We have invited irrespective of whether someone attends or not; we have prepared the dishes irrespective of whether someone attends or not,” Momin Bhat, shared a song with the title “Omar Abdullah be like”.
Others, meanwhile, called Lone the “naaraaz phuphu of every wedding.”
A section, however, praised Lone for using humour to tackle an awkward situation. “This rustic humour, Sajad Lone. Authentic Kashmiri way of taking it on your chin!! God bless!!,” wrote Rajinder Raina.