Gilani Defends Shift from Separatism to Kashmir Politics

Srinagar: Syed Salim Gilani, a former functionary of the Hurriyat Conference who quit the separatist camp to join the mainstream politics recently, has claimed that the shift is neither change of heart nor surrender or a compulsion but “another way of identifying yourself with the people and their problems.”

“Disconnect with ground realities is a failure of a politician. What I and some other friends have done is an acknowledgement of the problems our people are facing, and that of the wounds inflicted on them. Acknowledgement is a first step towards the solution of these problems and healing their wounds,” he said in an interview to this correspondent here.

He added, “It is neither change of heart, nor a compulsion or surrender. I think demands change with time. That include political urges of the people” Justifying his being a part of the Hurriyat Conference, an amalgam of the Kashmiri separatist organization, for many years, Mr. Gilani said, “That was an era in which, Alhamdulillah (thank God), we represented the emotions and feelings of the people, and we are happy and proud of it”.

58-year-old Gilani, who joined the Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the J&K Assembly elections, on being asked about the radical change in his political outlook, said, “We can’t continue to make people eat and drink freedom; we can’t make them to wear freedom. They are facing many problems in their day to day lives. While they want a solution to the Kashmir issue, they also want employment. They want their everyday life problems to be addressed too.”

Paradoxically, the J&K National People’s Party headed by him, and which is a constituent of the Hurriyat Conference has not been disbanded. Mr. Gilani said its activities had come to a halt after the Centre stripped the erstwhile state of J&K of its special status and split it up into two Union territories in August 2019. “For the past five years, all kinds of activities of the J&KPNP have remained suspended”, he said.

Mr. Gilani is currently campaigning for the PDP candidates in the Kashmir Valley’s border districts of Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipore which with Jammu, Kathua, Samba and Udhampur districts of the Jammu region will go to the polls in the third and final phase of the Assembly elections on October 1. For past over three decades, various Kashmiri separatist political and militant groups including the Hurriyat Conference have officially been boycotting the elections on the premise that any such exercise held under the framework of the Indian Constitution cannot be the substitute to the plebiscite promised by the United Nations’ Security Council to the people of J&K split between India and Pakistan since 1948.

In 1989, the Kashmiri separatist campaign burst into major violence. Some of the former separatists who have joined the election fray now say that the gun and violence have only brought misery to the people of J&K. However, many of their former colleagues call it “betrayal of the cause” whereas their other critics see their participation in electoral politics as political opportunism.

Mr. Gilani denies his joining the PDP is a betrayal or political opportunism. “The PDP is also asking for resolving the Kashmir problem amicably. It offered me a ticket to contest for the Khanyar (Srinagar) Assembly seat, but I refused, thinking people would say I joined the party only to get its mandate to contest an election. So, it is neither a betrayal nor any political opportunism,” he said.

His critics also hold the view that he did not accept the PDP offer because he was afraid of losing the election and also could not face the people with his changed political viewpoint. Responding to it, Mr. Gilani said, “Everyone has a right to hold opinions. I was neither scared of facing the people nor of losing the election. I told you about the reason behind my staying off. But I’m campaigning for my party. I strongly believe, fighting an election isn’t the finishing line. The goal should be to serve the people in whatever capacity and sincere way you can do it. Also, I didn’t want to remain imprisoned in one constituency but work for the people of the entire J&K.”

Reiterating that he joined the PDP to follow a two- pronged approach, Mr. Gilani said, “We were at a place (separatist camp) where we were not able to address the day-to-day problems of the people. I thought about moving out and joining the PDP where we can work towards solving the daily life problems of the people and also talk about their political rights. The PDP is for reconciliation and seeks a solution of the Kashmir problem through dialogue, reopening of cross-LoC trade and travel routes and the release of political prisoners. With that it stresses the need for development and addressing the unemployment issue. I can work here on both fronts.”

He, however, gave a vague answer when asked if he has accepted the Indian Constitution. He said, “Look I’m in the PDP. When you join a party, you move on with its policy.”

Mr. Gilani in reply to another question said, “The people of J&K have been buried beneath the weight of problems. They want peace of heart. There is a sense of alienation, but despite it they also want solutions to the problems encountered by them in everyday life. If they want a solution to the Kashmir issue, they also want bread and butter.”

Asked what the solution of the Kashmir issue could be, he said, “The way out is to sit across a negotiating table. The parties to the dispute must respect one another’s emotions and sensibilities, acknowledge one another’s compulsions and address one another’s needs so that a solution comes up which will be acceptable to all.” He added, “A win-win situation has to be there so that all the parties feel like they have won, and no one has a sense of defeat.”