'Gave up arms, adopted Gandhian way of...': Separatist Yasin Malik in court

Separatist leader Yasin Malik, who is currently serving a life sentence, recently told a tribunal that he has embraced non-violence and abandoned armed struggle since 1994. Malik, the founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front-Yasin (JKLF-Y), said in his affidavit that he now follows the "Gandhian way of resistance," meaning he believes in peaceful protest and non-violence.

In his statement, Malik said, “I gave up arms, I’m a Gandhian now.” He made these comments as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) tribunal reviewed the ban on JKLF-Y, the group that played a key role in armed militancy in the Kashmir Valley during the 1990s. Malik explained that he decided to abandon violence to promote the idea of a "united, independent Kashmir," but he now wants to achieve this goal through peaceful means.

Despite Malik’s claims of non-violence, the UAPA tribunal, in its recent order, declared JKLF-Y an "unlawful organization" for the next five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The ruling mentioned the outfit's connections with top political and government figures since 1994 and questioned the group’s legitimacy.

Malik is currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail after being convicted in a terror funding case. He is also a key accused in the 1990 killing of four Indian Air Force personnel in Rawalpora, Srinagar. Witnesses had identified Malik as the main shooter in the case. In May 2022, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in a terror financing case that was investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

In his affidavit, Malik claimed that in the early 1990s, various state officials assured him that the Kashmir issue would be resolved through "meaningful dialogue." He was told that if he initiated a unilateral ceasefire, all charges against him and JKLF-Y members would be dropped. However, the government, in its ban notification issued on March 15, 2024, argued that although Malik gave up armed struggle in 1994, he continued to support and encourage terrorism.

The tribunal’s decision means JKLF-Y will continue to be classified as an unlawful group for at least the next five years.

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