Hardeep Bedi Ali Shah Geelani, the 90 year old Kashmiri separatist leader aligned with the All Party Hurriyat Conference (Hurriyat), has suddenly resigned from the separatist conglomerate. An irrelevant person leaving an irrelevant organisation does not merit any discussion or comment. Nevertheless, since he maintains pretensions of being a leader of the Kashmiris there is a … [Read more...] about Ali Shah Geelani: Dogmatic, obdurate and self serving to the very end
Syed Ali Shah Geelani
With the myth broken, Kashmiri separatism is in doldrums
Jasbir Sarai The moment the word “separatist” is used in India, it conjures the image of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and their colleagues of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in Kashmir, who subscribe to this ideology. Use of the ideology of separatism as a political tool in Kashmir, however, goes as far back as 1931 when some Muslim pressure groups … [Read more...] about With the myth broken, Kashmiri separatism is in doldrums
Article 35 A: Let the Supreme Court adjudicate
Jaibans Singh A three Judge bench of the Supreme Court is slated to hear a petition on the legal validity of Article 35A of the Constitution on August, 6. This would be part of an ongoing hearing of four petitions on the constitutional status of the article that have been clubbed together. During this hearing, the plea for institution of a five Judge Constitution Bench for the … [Read more...] about Article 35 A: Let the Supreme Court adjudicate
Politics of ceasefire: The nation cannot let down its security forces
Vikas Khanna The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led central government’s decision to announce “suspension of operations” (ceasefire) in Jammu and Kashmir during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is a well-intentioned move, taken primarily to please its coalition partner, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Ceasefire may sound good politically, but all political decisions do not … [Read more...] about Politics of ceasefire: The nation cannot let down its security forces
Geelani’s objective: Target quality education to keep Kashmiri’s backward
Jaibans Singh Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the octogenarian separatist from Kashmir who has spent a life time sucking up to Pakistan, loves to call himself a “Resistance Leader.” The sobriquet reduces the sense of guilt that he feels for having ‘slept with the enemy” for a major portion of his adult life. Geelani is a resistance leader insofar that he specialises in resisting … [Read more...] about Geelani’s objective: Target quality education to keep Kashmiri’s backward
It is time to bring closure to separatism & militancy in Kashmir
Jaibans Singh The arrest of Syed Shahid Yusuf by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Tuesday, October, 24, in pursuance of its ongoing investigation into acts of money laundering by Kashmiri separatists and their associates, caused considerable ripples. The interest being generated is because Shahid Yusuf is the son of Syed Sallahuddin, a Kashmiri who has taken refuge … [Read more...] about It is time to bring closure to separatism & militancy in Kashmir
Hurriyat: Teetering towards irrelevance
Dr. Simrit Kahlon The inherent fissures within the All Party Hurriyat Conference (Hurriyat) are well known. In recent days they have become all the more prominent, leading to what is widely being perceived as an existential crisis for the conglomerate. The Hurriyat has been steadily losing its clout and relevance over the last few years since people have seen through its … [Read more...] about Hurriyat: Teetering towards irrelevance
Shri Amarnath Yatra: Jammu and Kashmir poised to welcome pilgrims
Jaibans Singh The pilgrimage to the holy cave of Amarnath in Kashmir is scheduled to commence on 29 June, the auspicious day of “Jesht Purnima” in accordance with the Hindu calendar and culminate on 07 August, coinciding with “Raksha Bandhan.” The Shri Amarnath shrine is located at the head of the Sind Valley in Kashmir, flanked in the north by the great Himalayan range and … [Read more...] about Shri Amarnath Yatra: Jammu and Kashmir poised to welcome pilgrims
Geelani scripted the darkest chapter in Kashmir’s history
Jaibans Singh About two decades back, on April, 24, 1998, Syed Ali Shah Geelani wrested control of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) from Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. He went on to become the architect of the darkest, most turbulent period in the history of Kashmir. APHC was created by the Mirwaiz on March 10, 1993 as a political front to raise the so-called cause of Kashmiri … [Read more...] about Geelani scripted the darkest chapter in Kashmir’s history
Kashmir must rise collectively to meet school burning challenge
Jaibans Singh More than two dozen schools in the Kashmir Valley have been burnt down and still there is no clue about the perpetrators of this heinous crime. The Jammu and Kashmir Police and the intelligence set up is not exactly covering itself with glory. Weeks into the problem and they continue to remain clueless with no tangible counter action plan in place! The situation … [Read more...] about Kashmir must rise collectively to meet school burning challenge