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Conflicts
and contradictions within APHC
What
others say......
The
removal of the prominent
Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani, from the executive
of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, signals a significant shift in
the politics of the umbrella separatist alliance. Mr Geelani is a
well-known hard-liner who has continued to publicly justify
militancy and the use of violence against Indian security forces.
The separatist leader is known also to openly champion the cause of
Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan. It may be recalled that
Mr Geelani was imprisoned in Ranchi for several months, under the
Public Safety Act, before being released a few months ago on health
grounds. The ostensible reason for the removal of Mr Geelani from
the APHC executive is his poor health. But it is well known that the
Amir of the Jamaat, Mr G.M. Bhat, has strongly disapproved of Mr
Geelani’s extremist views for some years. In the past too, Mr Bhat
had attempted to contain Mr Geelani, but not very successfully. Mr
Geelani’s proximity to the Pakistani establishment and
particularly the Inter- Services Intelligence, it is believed, had
given him tremendous influence within the Hurriyat.
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This
time round, however, Mr Bhat acted decisively and replaced Mr
Geelani with a nominee of his choice. This may well also be because
a powerful section of Pakistan’s establishment too has become
uncomfortable with Mr Geelani’s politics. Indeed, Mr Geelani
recently criticized Pakistan’s decision to clamp down on the
militant group, Hizub-ul Mujahideen. As it is, Mr Geelani had not
been attending meetings of the APHC executive since his release from
jail. He claimed that the APHC must take action against one of its
constituent groups, the People’s Conference, which, according to
him, had put up dummy candidates during the last assembly elections.
Mr Geelani’s departure may not resolve all the internal conflicts
and contradictions within the APHC, but should make the organization
more pragmatic and more in tune with ground realities. Mr Geelani
will, of course, attempt to position himself on the high moral
ground and as the only real spokesman of the Kashmiri people. The
fact, however, is that the separatist leader’s past record smacks
of expediency and opportunism rather than steadfast adherence to any
principle. Not only has he been a member of the Jammu and Kashmir
legislative assembly twice, but, on the basis of this membership,
continues to draw a pension from the state government. More
recently, he is believed to have sought concession for air and rail
travel on the ground of being a senior Indian citizen. This itself
speaks volumes of the politics of secession in Jammu and Kashmir
today.
[
The Hindu ] |
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