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Fazal Haq Qureshi, the Hizbul point man, is unassuming and soft spoken. He is also esteemed as the trustworthiest soul in separatist circl...

Written by Fazal Haq Qureshi

August 7, 2000 12:00 AM IST

4 min read

Fazal Haq Qureshi, the Hizbul point man, is unassuming and soft spoken. He is also esteemed as the trustworthiest soul in separatist circles, for he has never budged an inch during his 35-year-long romance with separatism. The 56-year-old ideologue preferred solitary confinement to toeing the official line even when he had only a handful of friends and well-wishers. But now he wants peace. He calls Hizbul-Government unconditional negotiations a golden chance for a peaceful and honourable resolution. What convinced this diehard separatist, known for his unflinching anti-India stance, that this time the Government was sincere? Knowing that the Hizbul peace initiative for unconditional dialogue has more enemies than friends on both sides of the fence, what gives Qureshi the nerve to throw himself into this cauldron? It is nothing but faith, he tells Muzamil Jaleel:

It was never politics for me. I am not a politician. I am a freedom fighter. I firmly believe in struggle 8212; for freedom and the restoration of honour and dignity to my people. I am clear about this and have no doubts. I joined the movement at a time when the goal seemed distant, murky; now the situation is altogether different. For me, it is a dream. I have been dreaming this dream for 35 years and everyday it refreshes me and inspires me to carry on. I will die but never compromise on my ideals. They are sacred to me.

I don8217;t fear death. I believe in destiny. Nobody can alter the appointed time of death. When it has to come, it will come. I believe the cause is the most important thing in our struggle and not the gun. The gun was always a means to an end and not an end in itself. And if a ceasefire and a dialogue are helping us to go a step ahead in our struggle, why not grab this opportunity? If the talks fail, we have not lost anything because the other options are still open. This initiative is all set to add to the legitimacy of our struggle on the international level. We wanted to make it clear that if India is ready for unconditional dialogue to resolve the core issue of Kashmir peacefully, we are ready too. A resolution through peaceful means is our priority, not the gun. And my belief is that the prevailing situation militancy is a manifestation of the Government of India8217;s stand of coming to the table to discuss the issue without pre-conditions. Working towards the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute wasmy party8217;s People8217;s Patriotic Front manifesto, too, so when the Hizb approached me to mediate, to initiate an unconditional dialogue with the Government, I said OK. I believe in it and if I die doing this, I will be satisfied. So far the struggle was waged only through militancy. If we get an opportunity to achieve our goal through peaceful means, why not give it a try?

People ask me if I believe that this peace initiative is being pursued sincerely by both sides. They ask me, what are the chances of its success when there is so much violent opposition from other militant groups? But why shouldn8217;t we believe it in the first place? Why should we be negative about an opportunity for a dialogue, that too without preconditions? I know I am sincere and that I am on the right path, so I have nothing to lose. We are sincerely pursuing the dialogue process and if it reaches its logical conclusion and the dispute is resolved permanently, nothing could be better!But even if it fails, we haven8217;t lost because we have not compromised on our principles.

My faith in God sustains me. I believe in God. Whatever I am doing now, I don8217;t want the results or rewards in this life. I know I will get the Atilde;sup2;f40Atilde;sup3;ajar reward in the hereafter. It is God who gives me strength. It is my faith in the Almighty that has given me the courage now to accept this challenge.

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