From Muslim Conference to National Conference (1932 to 1939)

Muslim Conference (1932)

• All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference was founded in October 1932 at Pather Masjid, Srinagar. Sheikh Abdullah was President and Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas (Jammu) General Secretary. Mirwaiz Yusuf Shah was a leading figure too.
• Its early demands: more jobs, education and political rights for Muslims.

The Praja Sabha (1934)

• Set up after the Glancy Report, it was J&K's first legislature, with limited franchise and mostly advisory powers. The Muslim Conference did well in the Muslim seats.

The change to "National" Conference (1939)

• Under Prem Nath Bazaz and others, Sheikh Abdullah grew doubtful about a purely Muslim body. On 11 June 1939 the Muslim Conference became the All Jammu and Kashmir National Conference open to all communities.
• Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas and some others left. The Muslim Conference was revived in 1941, closer to the Muslim League and Jinnah.
• The National Conference drew near to the Indian National Congress and Jawaharlal Nehru.

More details

• In October 1932 the first political party in Kashmir, the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, was set up by Sheikh Abdullah.
• With time the Conference changed its attitude and opened its doors to all religions. Some books say the name change to National Conference was decided in 1938; the formal change was on 11 June 1939.
• The National Conference was joined by Hindus and Sikhs and became a more stable and powerful party. Its aim was responsible government.
• It held its first session in October 1939 and passed a resolution embodying all the demands.
• Reforms introduced by the Maharaja in 1939 did not satisfy the Conference.