Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

An attempt to split Hurriyat?

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR APRIL 26. The recent meeting of separatist leaders from both sides of Kashmir has led to serious differences within the All-Party Hurriyat Conference. It is also seen as an attempt to divide the Hurriyat which could serve the purpose of both India and Pakistan in the changed scenario.

So far, the Hurriyat has been the alliance of separatists officially recognised by Pakistan, but the latest developments, which include the high-level meeting of the Hurriyat's two executive members, Abdul Gani Lone and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, with the Kashmir Committee (of Pakistan) chairman, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, has sent different signals. Does Pakistan also want to break the Hurriyat to serve the interests of its Government which has allied itself with the U.S. after the September 11 attacks and wants to contain jehadi elements is the question lurking in the minds of analysts here. So far as India is concerned, a divide in the Hurriyat was always seen as a possible route to woo the separatists to elections.

Attended also by Ghulam Nabi Fai, Nazir Geelani, Mushtaq Jeelani and Syed Yusuf Naseem, separatist leaders based in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Islamabad, the meeting has created a furore among the ranks of the separatists. Two senior leaders of the conglomerate — the Hurriyat chairman, Abdul Gani Bhat and Syed Ali Shah Geelani — have openly come out against the meeting. ``They had no mandate of the Hurriyat,'' said Prof. Bhat. Mr. Geelani on Tuesday said there was no question of putting an end to jehad as long as repression continued. ``Those who think on those lines are mistaken,'' he said.

With Mr. Lone and Mirwaiz Farooq ostensibly ``creating indiscipline'' in the alliance, the Hurriyat has decided to seek an explanation from both the leaders and a two member committee will question the latter as Mr. Lone is away in the U.S.

What has irked the Hurriyat hardliners is the report that the meeting had the blessings of both India and Pakistan and that officials from New Delhi and Islamabad had been camping in Dubai to monitor the progress. For the past several months, particularly after September 11, battle lines have been drawn among the leaders in the Hurriyat executive on the issue of participating in the elections. As Prof. Bhat has of late joined the hardliner group of Mr. Geelani and Yasin Malik, the divide is clear.

In the latest development, the United Jehad Council (UJC) has declared Syed Ali Geelani "leader of the freedom movement'' and supported his stand on jehad. It was Mr. Geelani's parent organisation, Jamat-e-Islami, which on Thursday had differed with his views on continuing with jehad saying that these were his personal views. But the Muzaffarabad-based UJC today not only came out openly in his support but also declared him leader.

Mirwaiz clarifies

Another former Hurriyat Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who has been in trouble for his reported remarks about militants in the latest issue of Time magazine today used the his Jamia Masjid platform for clarifying his position.

"In the interview, one of statements has been misinterpreted and I had criticised the renegades and not Mujahideen" he told the Friday congregation adding that he had written a letter to those responsible at the magazine.

The Mirwaiz also made it known that he had an opportunity to meet Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan and other leaders from PoK and discuss the possible solutions to the Kashmir problem.

"I think those suggestions could be highly beneficial and I would like to put those before the Hurriyat Conference after which those could be known to the people as well" he said, adding that for the resolution of the problem all organisations in and outside the Hurriyat would be taken into confidence.

"But it is an admitted fact that only dialogue can resolve the issue" he said.

The Dubai meet had been criticised not only by some separatist organisation but the Hurriyat leaders as well as it was reported that it had decided to put an end to armed struggle and pave the way for electoral process.

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