Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik passed away on Tuesday, August 5, at the age of 77. A seasoned politician, Malik had also served as the Governor of Bihar, Goa, Odisha, and Meghalaya during his decades-long public career.
Malik was appointed as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2018 and held office during the historic abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. He was later transferred to Goa in October 2019 and eventually to Meghalaya, where he retired from gubernatorial service on October 4, 2022.
Hailing from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh and belonging to the influential Jat community, Malik entered politics in the mid-1960s, drawing inspiration from socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia. Though he briefly joined the Congress and served as general secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee in the mid-1980s, he quit over the Bofors scandal and co-founded the Jan Morcha, which later merged into the Janata Dal.
In 2004, Malik joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was later appointed as its national vice-president in 2012. He played a key role in the party’s strategy during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
📢 8,000+ readers already joined for instant Kashmir News Trust updates
Condolences poured in from various political leaders across party lines, remembering Malik as a firm administrator and a voice of independent thought.
