Sajad’s decision to shift his political strategy and take the risk of joining electoral politics however goes beyond the logic of success of democratic politics in Kashmir. It has also much to do with the static nature of separatist politics at the moment. With global attention shifting from Kashmir to Afghanistan and the internal troubles of Pakistan multiplying on an every day basis, the movement in the peace process has been stalled and the separatists have nothing to offer or deliver to people. Their only role at the moment is to articulate the resentment of people, mostly in the cases of Human Rights violations, but even here they find stiff competition from mainstream political parties like the PDP.

Despite the fact that there is enough pressure on the Hurriyat leaders to contest elections, they have maintained a position that they will not participate in any electoral exercise that is not linked with the ultimate resolution of the Kashmir problem. Seen from this perspective, Sajjad Lone has taken a big risk and put his political future at stake. And yet one can also argue that among the separatists, only he could have taken the electoral initiative. His party has been considering this idea since the late nineties — when the leadership was in the hands of A.G. Lone. There was a speculation that the senior Lone was toying with the idea of joining the electoral fray but he was assassinated before the 2002 Assembly elections. He had however changed the direction of the separatist movement by raising the voice against armed militancy and jehadi elements and pleading for political rather than violent means of resistance.

... contd.