While there has been talk of a split in the past too, differences within the Hurriyat took a serious turn after firebrand Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani demanded the expulsion of the People’s Conference, a key constituent of the amalgam, for allegedly supporting the electoral process by fielding proxy candidates in the last assembly elections. He threatened to quit if the People’s Conference wasn’t expelled. For now, Geelani, who represents the Jamaat in the Hurriyat central executive, says he will stay out of the amalgam till action is taken against the People’s Conference for "treason". The Hurriyat leadership seemed in no hurry to heed the threat.
Instead, the People’s Conference’s youthful leader Sajjad Lone, the son of slain moderate Abdul Ghani Lone, went public with a chargesheet against Geelani, with charges that ranged from taking money from both New Delhi and Islamabad. Geelani has not answered the charges. That the Hurriyat favoured sidelining Geelani, known for his extremist views as a pro-Pakistan leader and supporter of militancy in Kashmir, became evident when the amalgam elected a new chairman.
It was a virtual coup staged by the moderates. At a hurriedly called meeting of the central executive, where nobody from the Jamaat was present, Shia leader Moulvi Abbas Ansari was elected as the new Hurriyat chairman to replace Abdul Ghani Bhat whose two-year term ended this month. In such a situation, Geelani is left with no choice but to pull out of the Hurriyat. But will the Jamaat relent so easily?
By Zafar Meraj
