Satya Pal Malik’s Death Stirs Mixed Emotions In Kashmir

Malik, passed away in a New Delhi hospital on Tuesday, coinciding with the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. His death sparked varied sentiments in the Kashmir Valley, with many people taking to the social media platforms remembering him with contempt due to his role in the controversial decision. One of the users said, “The man who lied to us on August 5 (2019) died on August 5 (2025). Karma is real.”

Ruling National Conference (NC) chief spokesperson and communication head Tanvir Sadiq in a post on ‘X’ said, “The same date he chose to erase our identity is the one that marked his own end. If that’s not poetic justice, what is?”

As governor in 2019, Malik was a key figure during the Central government’s move to revoke Article 370, which stripped J&K of its special autonomous status and led to its bifurcation into two Union Territories. This decision remains a deeply polarising issue in the region as was reflected by the protests and rallies held across J&K on Tuesday both against and in favour of it.

Also, while many social media users viewed Malik’s role with resentment, labelling him as a facilitator of the abrogation, others acknowledge his later criticisms of the Central government.

Malik had claimed he was not fully informed about the decision beforehand, stating in a 2023 interview with The Wire that he was merely sent papers to sign on August 4, 2019, without prior consultation. He argued this showed a lack of proper concurrence, a point raised in Supreme Court petitions challenging the abrogation’s legality.

However, senior journalist and editor Kashmir Newsline Shabir Hussain in a post on ‘X’ claimed that Malik had in another newspaper interview earlier admitted to his keeping lying all along as part of his national duty when the ground for the abrogation of 370 and 35-A was being prepared. Hussian said, “Notwithstanding his abrupt avatar of Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra after he fell out with Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, Satya Pal Malik was a hideous character as the last governor of J&K. After August 5, 2019, in an interview to Indian Express, he shamelessly admitted that he kept lying all along as part of his national duty when the ground for the abrogation of 370 and 35-A was being prepared.”

As Malik’s legacy is complex, some social media posts noted that he later supported the abrogation while also being outspoken on issues like the Pulwama attack and alleged corruption, positioning him as a figure who both shaped and critiqued the events of 2019.

Some people described his tenure as leaving both a legacy and controversy, with his death closing a significant chapter in J&K’s history. Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz in a signed statement said, “I express my deepest sadness on the demise of Satya Pal Malik who had certain admirable qualities in his character. He would candidly express his ideas on social and political issues. That way, he was an upright person.” Soz added, “I would always hold him in high esteem for his secular character and the frankness through which he would express his ideas on social and political issues. His demise constitutes a loss to the nation.”