| Departure from separatist rhetoric, Bilal Lone ready to join mainstream | | | sanjay pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 19: In a bold shift from separatist ideology, Bilal Gani Lone, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Independent Movement and a key figure in the Hurriyat Conference, announced that the separatist alliance has lost its relevance and public trust.
In a heartfelt appeal, Lone urged Kashmiri youth to embrace the Indian mainstream for a dignified and secure future, emphasizing that India’s strength makes confrontation futile.
Lone, the elder brother of People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone and son of slain separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, called for a new political vision grounded in realism. Reflecting on decades of conflict, he acknowledged that violence has brought only bloodshed, destruction, and generational loss to Kashmiris.
In an interview with a news agency, Lone declared the Hurriyat Conference, formed in 1993, as irrelevant and non-functional. “The Hurriyat has lost the trust of the people,” he stated, attributing its decline to the failure of separatist leaders to adapt to changing realities. “The idea behind the Hurriyat was noble in the 1990s, but it has faltered over time,” he added.
Criticizing the leadership, Lone highlighted their disconnect from the ground realities, which has rendered the conglomerate ineffective. He urged the younger generation to move beyond the politics of exploitation and embrace a future within the Indian Union.
Lone advised Kashmiri youth to see India beyond the lens of political parties like the BJP or Congress. “Don’t view India through party politics—see India as India and find your rightful place within it,” he said. He stressed the need for honesty about the past 35 years of turmoil, which he described as devastating for the region.
“Violence has only brought suffering. Kashmiris have always been at the receiving end,” Lone remarked, advocating for a new political phase focused on dignity and progress.
Bilal and his brother Sajad are sons of Abdul Gani Lone, a veteran Kashmiri politician and founder of the People’s Conference. Abdul Gani, a moderate voice with strong support in north Kashmir, was assassinated by terrorists on May 21, 2002, during an event in Srinagar.
His death followed a fallout with hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani over the presence of foreign terrorists in the Valley. Sajad later accused Geelani and Pakistan’s ISI of orchestrating the killing.
After the assassination, Bilal aligned with the moderate faction of the Hurriyat, while Sajad transitioned to mainstream politics in 2009, contesting the Lok Sabha elections from North Kashmir. In 2014, Sajad won the Handwara seat, and the People’s Conference secured another seat in Kupwara. He later served as a minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government.
The Hurriyat Conference split into moderate and hardline factions in 2002 after Geelani demanded the expulsion of the People’s Conference for allegedly fielding proxy candidates in the Assembly elections. When Hurriyat chairman Molvi Abbas Ansari rejected the demand, Bilal remained with the moderates, while Geelani led the hardline faction.
Lone’s remarks signal a significant moment in Kashmir’s political landscape, as a prominent separatist voice advocates for integration with India, urging the youth to chart a new path forward. |
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