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| Hardliners hold prayer meeting in Mirwaiz's bastion | | Geelani, Shah join hands to counter moderates | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 11: As the violence levels are receding in Jammu and Kashmir, separatists are finding it hard to keep themselves relevant, especially the hardliners.
Sources told Early Times that division among the ranks of separatists has become a cause of concern for the people orchestrating protests and stone pelting.
In a significant development, Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and another faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Shabir Ahmed Shah today organized a joint prayer meeting at Eidgah here in old city, considered to be the citadel of another separatist, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who heads one more faction of Hurriyat Conference. Many top leaders of both the factions were present on the occasion.
It is in place to mention here that Hurriyat Conference (JK) led by Shah was formed a few months ago after differences between the Mirwaiz led group and Shah became public. Later, Shah faced expulsion from Hurriyat (M). Hurriyat (JK), includes Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Mushtaq-Ul-Islam and others.
Sources said that both the Hurriyat factions held a joint prayer meeting in old city today to send a message to Mirwaiz that they are not "afraid" of venturing into his area. Shah and other Hurriyat (JK) leaders had to face a difficult situation in the old city in June 2012 when the shrine of Dastgeer Sahib (RA) at Khanyar was gutted in a mysterious fire incident. Shabir Shah and Nayeem Khan were beaten by the angry mob when they arrived there to express solidarity with the people of the old city.
Soon after the incident Shah and Khan blamed the Mirwaiz led group for the attack. "Shah visited old city after a long time today. By joining hands with Geelani, Shah wants to send a message to Mirwaiz that he is out to counter him," opined an analyst.
He said, "separatists somehow want to remain relevant as the infighting among them and the differences within their rank and file have exposed them before the masses, who are fed up of unwanted shutdown calls and disturbances which are caused due to stone pelting and clashes."
A top police officer while talking to Early Times said that there are many reasons for separatists becoming "irrelevant."
"Most of the people who used to act as conduits for separatists and were instrumental in organizing street protests and stone pelting are behind the bars. Another factor which police and other security agencies have worked on is that we have choked the Hawala channels and have ensured that money from outside countries fails to reach them."
The official claimed that people who used to work for separatists "for money" have deserted them. "Situation has changed drastically since 2010 as people have lost interests in unwanted hartals and protests. Another factor which has made the separatists ineffective is that they don't have money to hire people," the official said, adding, "Masses have lost interest in the activities of separatists as they have realized that they have been misled by a handful of people for all these years."
Commenting upon Shabir Shah joining hands with Geelani, the official said, "It is an insignificant development for the security agencies as we know that both of them have lost the capability to mobilize people. By joining hands they want to send a message to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq that they too are in the race." |
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