Recounts how his wife, despite being advised bed rest, came out to see him off as he left for Jammu, believing he would become a minister
WS/VP Desk
Srinagar, Oct 27: Hours after four new ministers were inducted into the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet on Tuesday, National Conference MLA from Baramulla Javid Hassan Baig shared a lengthy emotional post on social media, recalling how he had once travelled to Jammu expecting a ministerial berth in the then PDP-led government, only to be told hours later that his induction would not take place.
In a post, MLA Baramulla said, “Not Every Morsel Is Meant to Go Down Your Throat”, the post recounts the incident from 2017, when Baig was associated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It also reflects on political ambitions, family expectations and the need to accept decisions without resentment.
Baig recalled that he was attending condolence prayers at the residence of senior PDP leader Abdul Haq Khan in Lolab when he received a call from the office of the then chief minister.
He was informed that a Cabinet expansion was scheduled for the following day and that he had been directed to reach Jammu the same day. He was asked to carry clothes for the ceremony, bring five close relatives, friends or associates, and keep the information confidential until further instructions.
With travel and accommodation arrangements also being made, Baig said he believed he was likely to be inducted into the Cabinet.
“I had been working as a dedicated worker of the PDP since 1998,” he wrote, adding that although he had lost the 2005 election, the time, youth and hard work he had devoted to the party remained a source of personal satisfaction.
As rumours of his possible induction spread through local markets, his colleagues began celebrating the prospect. One of his personal security officers, Javid Khan, even called his wife, Nissa, to congratulate her, saying that Baig would take the oath of office the next day.
Baig said the memory of his wife’s reaction remained particularly significant. She was suffering from a back problem and had been advised complete bed rest, but had begun hoping that her husband would become a minister.
He recalled calling her to arrange his clothes and money for the journey to Jammu. When she congratulated him on the expected appointment, he cautioned her against raising her hopes too high.
The legislator said he was surprised when she stepped out of the vehicle at Sangrama despite her medical condition.
“I still do not know whether those tears were tears of joy, an expression of her faith in me, or the anxiety of a heart wondering whether the dream she had begun to cherish would actually come true,” he wrote.
The anticipation ended in Jammu at around 7.30 pm, when Baig received a call from the party office. The message was brief: “We regret to inform you…”
Baig said he responded simply, “No problem.”
He added that he had never considered his induction certain, having received similar indications on earlier occasions that had not materialised.
Reflecting on the episode, Baig said political leaderships often faced organisational, administrative and political compulsions, and that disappointment should not automatically be interpreted as personal injustice.
“Today, when I recall that incident, I have no complaint against anyone. I had none then, and I have none now,” he wrote.
His post came hours after the Cabinet expansion of the Omar Abdullah-led government, which saw four new ministers inducted on Tuesday.
Congratulating the new ministers, Baig said a ministerial position was not merely an office but a responsibility that demanded integrity, sound judgement and accountability.
He also called for sensitivity towards colleagues who had been left out, particularly senior leaders who had spent years working for their party.
Baig said becoming an MLA was itself a significant achievement and that elected representatives should focus on addressing people’s problems rather than allowing the pursuit of higher positions to overshadow their existing responsibilities.
“Human nature is strange. We often fail to appreciate what we already possess. In our desire for more, we sometimes lose the very peace and contentment that we already have,” he wrote.
Acknowledging the constitutional limits on the size of the Council of Ministers in Jammu and Kashmir, a Union Territory, Baig said not every aspiration could be fulfilled at a given time.
He said political maturity required understanding the leadership’s constraints, respecting collective interests and continuing to work for the party.
Baig also sought to dispel any suggestion that he was disappointed at being left out of the Cabinet, pointing out that he had been associated with the National Conference for only three years, while several colleagues had contested elections six, seven or even eight times and remained with the party for decades.
“I have no complaint against my leadership, nor do I hold any grudge against any colleague,” he wrote, describing his present position as a blessing rather than an entitlement.
Concluding the post, Baig urged his colleagues to value the responsibilities they already held and not allow unfulfilled ambitions to become a burden.
“Not every morsel is meant to go down your throat. Whatever goes down is yours; whatever does not, is beyond your control,” he wrote.
He said peace of mind came not from having every wish fulfilled but from accepting what one had received and carrying out one’s responsibilities sincerely.
