Another split stares at moderate Hurriyat

Moderate Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is on the verge of another split after four senior leaders raised a banner of revolt against the chairman and other members of the conglomerate.

Democratic Freedom Party president Shabir Ahmad Shah, National Front chairman Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Mahaz-e-Azadi chief Mohammad Azam Inqlabi and Islamic Political Party Mohommad Yousuf Naqash are up in arms against Mirwaiz after he dashed a letter to convener in Pakistan occupied Kashmir Mohommad Yousuf Naseem asking him not to entertain the leaders who have left the conglomerate on their own.

Mirwaiz had cited indiscipline and violation of Hurriyat constitution as some of the reasons for not entertaining the leaders who he did not name in his letter. This led to a chain reaction with four rebel leaders going public and accusing Mirwaiz of leading a group of “anti-movement” people.

“Hurriyat belongs to people who have sacrificed for the movement. It is not someone’s personal fief. People who have suffered in jails and who have sacrificed everything for keeping the movement afloat are the real torchbearers of Hurriyat,” National Front chairman Nayeem Ahmad Khan told dna

The rebels also held an meeting at Shabir Shah’s residence on Monday to counter Mriwaiz led faction and chalk out a future course of action.

 “Hurriyat has been created to achieve the goal of freedom. We as guardians of the blood of martyrs cannot allow the constitution of the Hurriyat to be trampled upon by some elements,” said a joint statement issued by the rebel leaders after the meeting.

The letter bomb of Mirwaiz had come one and half year after violent clashes rocked Hurriyat headquarters after supporters of rival separatist leaders threw chairs and furniture at each other during a seminar organized on the eve of the death anniversary of slain Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Bhat in May 2012.

Mirwaiz later issued show cause notices to senior leaders including former chairman Abdul Gani Bhat, Nayeem Ahmad Khan and Azam Inqlabi for creating ruckus and issuing irresponsible statements. Though Gani Bhat fell into the line, Khan, Inqlabi and others remained aloof from the Hurriyat activities.

Last split in 2003
Hurriyat is a conglomerate of two dozen separatists groups formed in 1993 to fight for the “freedom” of J&K by holding of plebiscite under UN resolutions. Despite different ideologies the separatists came together and decided to fight jointly for azadi. However, in 2003 Hurriyat formally split with 12 constituents raising a banner of revolt against the then chairman Moulana Abbas Ansari for not throwing out People’s Conference led by Sajad Gani Lone over fielding of alleged proxy candidates in 2002 elections. Later, Mirwaiz led the moderate faction of the Hurriyat while Geelani became the chairman of hardline faction.