Hurriyat to discuss changing mood of Kashmiris

Hurriyat to discuss changing mood of Kashmiris
AASHA KHOSA

NEW DELHI, OCT 20: Close on the heels of a well-attended political meeting convened by the once-hardcore separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone in Srinagar, comes the two-day ``brain-storming session'' of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, (APHC), where leaders are scheduled to discuss the ``changing mood of Kashmiris towards insurgency''.

The meeting beginning Monday is likely to be attended by about two dozen leaders belonging to important groups of this 32-constituent secessionist conglomerate. Sources in the APHC said most of the leaders shared a feeling that the Kashmiris' almost euphoric reaction to the since withdrawn ceasefire by the Hizbul Mujahideen was enough of a cue for them to ``give a new direction to the (freedom) movement''.

New Delhi reportedly considers this trend of politicisation of Kashmiri secessionist camp as a major milestone in the Kashmir situation. This is also being attributed to the positive fallout of the since withdrawn ceasefire call by the Hizbul Mujahideen.

``Ultimately, politics had to prevail over the gun,'' remarked a senior leader of the People's Conference (Lone's party), who has just returned from attending the party's convention in Srinagar. An estimated 5000 delegates had participated in the session, which was being held after 10 years. Speaking with The Indian Express, on the condition of anonymity, (for he still fears insurgents), he said politicians could no longer afford to ignore the overwhelming pro-peace feelings of Kashmiris, which found an expression in the wake of the ceasefire call. ``If we fail to take note of people's sentiments (for peace) after 10 years of blood-bath, then we won't survive,'' he said.

Lone, a former mainstream politician, has suddenly become politically active ever since he had lost the race to the chairmanship of the APHC. He has shifted his residence from Srinagar to his native town of Handwara and has been touring his area of influence in north Kashmir extensively.

The Jamait-e-islami, a major constituent of the APHC has also started asserting its independent identity. Its cadres have been advised to stop lending support for APHC rallies and the leaders are hoping to organise the group's annual convention as a mega event early next year. So far the APHC constituents had desisted from acting independently during these years of insurgency.

Hurriyat sources say the Jamait's distancing has given a setback to APHC's activities as the Jamait cadres had been the backbone of the political campaign so far. ``Bhat saheb (Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, the new APHC chairman) is a nice person but he has no followers. Most of the time, he is busy auditing the accounts in his office,'' maintained a Delhi-based APHC leader.

The efforts of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Abdul Majid Dar to launch a separate political front have evidenttly not borne fruit so far. Sources say neither the APHC nor the Pakistan-based `Jehad network' controlling Kashmiri militants had taken to the idea.