A day after Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the hardline face of separatists in the Valley, admitted that the 62 per cent turnout in the J&K Assembly polls was something he had “never thought would happen,” the head of the moderate wing of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has echoed this and gone a step further.

Calling for a need to “introspect and rethink,” the Mirwaiz said that separatists lacked “rapport with the ground”.

“It is all about lack of rapport,” Mirwaiz told The Indian Express. “All our leaders are stationed in Srinagar. (Syed Ali) Geelani sahib is from Sopore, Shabir Shah sahib is from Islamabad (Anantnag)... Then we have Bilal (Gani Lone) sahib, Professor (Abdul Gani Bhat) sahib... It is also important that they work in their respective areas. It is something Hurriyat has to rethink and concentrate on. Leaders have to take responsibility of their respective regions.”

Mirwaiz, who is also the head priest of Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid (Grand Mosque), said it was important to understand the “genuine problems” of the rural Kashmir, understand the people and educate them but simultaneously blamed the government for “denying them a level playing field”.

“We have to acknowledge that the rural people have genuine problems like pani (water) and bijli (electricity) and Hurriyat is not in a position to address them,” he said.

“But India is always projecting it as a substitute to solution (of Kashmir issue)”.

Mirwaiz admitted to Hurriyat’s own shortcomings and said the amalgam was ready to look within. “We also need to introspect. We will sit together and rethink about our future strategy,” Mirwaiz said.

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