Srinagar: In a significant development, several former separatists and their family members are joining mainstream political parties in Kashmir, and some of them have even plunged into electoral battles.
This shift comes after banned Jamaat-e-Islami fielded their members as independent candidates from several constituencies. It is the first time Jamat members are contesting elections since 1987, and the move is seen as an “ideological shift” in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir.
The prominent former separatist leader to join mainstream in recent days was Syed Saleem Gilani, who joined the People’s Democratic Party headed by Mehbooba Mufti.
Gilani was associated with the moderate Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, for a long time. Gilani headed the Jammu and Kashmir National People’s Party and was a member of the Mirwaiz group. In 2005, he was nominated by Hurriyat as an interlocutor to hold talks with Kashmiri Pandits for their return.
He had quit the Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat Conference in 2015.
“The PDP’s commitment to resolving the Kashmir issue and freeing detainees resonates with my own beliefs,” Gilani said while justifying his joining.
Last week, Aga Syed Muntazir, the son of Aga Syed Hassan Al Moosvi’s president Anjuman Sharie Shian and a constituent of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, joined the PDP. Syed Muntazir has been fielded from the Budgam assembly segment.
At his joining, Mehdi said he would raise his voice for marginalised youth.
The other prominent separatists who joined mainstream parties include Ghulam Nabi Shaheen, a senior High Court Bar Association functionary who is campaigning for member Parliament Abdul Rashid Sheikh’s, aka Engineer Rashid’s, Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), and Javaid Hubi, son of former separatist Dr. Ghulam Mohammad Hubi.
The brother of separatist jailed leader Bashir Ahmad Bhat, popularly known as Peer Saifullah, Altaf Ahmad Bhat, is also the candidate of the AIP from the Rajpora Assembly in Pulwama. Bashir Bhat was a close aide of the late separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani.
While Jamat has already fielded at least four of its former members as independent candidates, the son of the outfit’s former general secretary, Ghulam Qadir Lone, has also announced to contest polls from Langate in north Kashmir.
Kashmir’s all mainstream parties have welcomed the change of heart among the separatists joining the electoral battle.
