Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s exit from the apex leadership of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) after 17 years of holding office as chairman amounts to his admission that grapes are sour. The Hurriyat (meaning freedom) started as a platform in 1993 for groups and individuals who had contested the (allegedly rigged) 1987 elections against the Congress-National Conference alliance. Each group had its own militant outfit and/or supported one such terrorist outfit to gain political space through violent means. Parties and members held two sets of views, both anti-India. They either wanted total Independence for J&K from both India and Pakistan or join Pakistan. Needless to say, many of them were on the payroll of ISI and acted as agents of Islamabad.
Successive governments in New Delhi adopted a flip flop policy of negotiating with Hurriyat or keeping a safe distance out of compulsions of coalition politics. Narendra Modi government drew a new red line while holding talks with Pakistan and called off talks when Islamabad crossed those red lines by inviting Hurriyat leaders for consultations thus making them a third party in what was strictly considered a subject of bilateral negotiations.
Pakistan expected the Hurriyat and its aged leadership to foment widespread trouble and violence in J&K following the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government, which by the way had made elaborate preparations to neutralise potential trouble makers and terror outfits. Enraged by Geelani’s flop show, Islamabad could have signalled its displeasure to him and withdrew all support systems. Left with no option Geelani has quit; leaving the anti-India forces leaderless. But his exit does not absolve him of the serious crimes committed by him and the sins of ruining the lives of generations of youth in J&K.
New Delhi should move quickly and nip in the bud any outfit or leadership inimical to our national security and indulge in terror activities especially closer to the fourth death anniversary of terrorist BurhanWani who was killed on July 8th 2016.
The political process and the status of statehood will have to be restored and elections held. J&K Assembly has 25 seats reserved for members expected to represent Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). The last delimitation added five to six seats to this list, taking the total tally of seats to one hundred and eleven (111). After the present exercise of delimitation is done and seats determined, the POK seats should be filled through a nomination to allow the right of representation to the people of POK in the J&K Assembly. It will not only meet the democratic aspirations of the people of POK and consolidate our position there but also take India one more step towards implementing the mandate of the unanimous resolution of both Houses of Parliament held on February 22, 1994.
