EDITORIAL: That New Delhi has reacted nervously to 91-year-old Kashmiri freedom leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s death is a fact that is evident from its decision to shut down internet in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir “as a precautionary measure” soon after pro-Geelani slogans and messages about his death were broadcast over loudspeakers from mosques in the occupied valley. Geelani sahib died on Wednesday evening at his Srinagar residence due to geriatric-related ailments, including dementia. He leaves behind two sons, six daughters and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren—along with millions of others, including the Kashmiris from the sub-continent and the worldwide Kashmiri diaspora—to mourn his death. He was, without an iota of doubt, a pro-Pakistan supporter, spearheading a freedom struggle in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for over three decades. Not only was Geelani sahib (one of the founders of Hurriyat Conference) the face of Jamaat-e-Islami and a true disciple of the party’s founder Abul Aala Maududi, he was also a three-time MLA in the erstwhile state from Sopore that made him virtually the face of agitation in 2008 and 2010. He had been facing a slew of cases and protracted detention till his death. His passport was seized in 1981 and never returned, barring an exception in 2006 to facilitate him to perform Hajj.

Geelani sahib’s approach to the Kashmir dispute was quite different from those of the Abdullahs, the Muftis, the Lones and others in IIOJK. According to him, for example, India and Pakistan cannot resolve the Kashmir issue bilaterally because it’s not a border dispute between two neighbours. No settlement can be reached by ignoring or sidelining the real stakeholders of the dispute, the Kashmiris. In one of his speeches, Geelani sahib publicly announced that although Pakistan is consistently helping Kashmiris diplomatically, politically and morally, it cannot take any decision on the Kashmir dispute on Kashmiris’ behalf. The 2014 elections in the then state of Jammu and Kashmir dealt a serious blow to his popularity and esteem. Although Geelani sahib had appealed to Kashmiris to boycott those polls which eventually brought Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party to power, there was nearly 60 percent voter turnout, the highest in 25 years. That a tweet of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti says it all is a fact. According to her, “we may not have agreed on most things but I respect him [Geelani sahib] for his steadfastness and standing by his belief…” Prime minister Imran Khan, Opposition leaders Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Zardari, among others, have expressed grief over Geelani sahib’s death. No doubt, Geelani sahib will always be remembered for his life-long struggle against India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and his fascinating narrative that comprised, among other things, a synthetic account of Kashmir’s political history, geography and resources. Geelani sahib knew well that a struggle is a long and difficult attempt to achieve something as freedom. Surely, he would always be remembered for his perseverance, steadfastness and conduct that was always guided by deep ethics.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021