Azad in separatists’ line of fire over Gandhi speech

Geelani is not alone. Hurriyat moderates led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have similarly condemned the “administering of the Gandhian oath” to the students. “We are not against any religion, but preaching Gandhian philosophy as a kind of religious ideology in the state is not advisable,” Hurriyat has said in a statement. “It is tantamount to offending the religious sentiments of Muslims.”

On Tuesday, CM Azad had organised a gathering of more than 50,000 students from across the state on the banks of Dal Lake to mark Gandhi Jayanti. It was for the first time that a function on such a scale was held in the state on the day. The day-long function was the culmination of a week-long state-wide debate on Gandhian philosophy with an award of Rs 1 lakh each for the top two winners.

The event was a remarkable demonstration of the steady consolidation of the mainstream forces in the state, but many saw it as too drastic and in-your-face for the good of the pro-India politics of the Valley. While Gandhi’s philosophy is not a problem in itself, it is the association of his message with mainstream politics in the state that irks secessionists. Besides, it also does not appeal to the Valley’s separatist constituency.

This is why there was a low-key participation in the event by the major mainstream parties like National Conference. NC was represented by its leader Abdur Raheem Rather, who did not speak on the occasion. On the other hand, no leader from the People’s Democratic Party attended the function.