Hurriyat hawk calling for poll boycott has brother in the fray as Cong nominee

Brothers often go their separate ways. But when one is a flag-bearer for the Congress and the other a front-ranking hawk of the separatis...

Brothers often go their separate ways. But when one is a flag-bearer for the Congress and the other a front-ranking hawk of the separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference who will leave no stone unturned to undermine the democratic process, it8217;s stuff for a potboiler.

This is the story of the Aghas of Budgam, a religious family that wields tremendous clout among the Shias of the Valley. Agha Syed Mehdi is a senior Congress leader who is contesting the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat this time Polling held on Sept 5. 8220;I have complete faith in the country8217;s democratic set-up and believe that all the genuine grievances of the Kashmiris can find an answer in this system,8221; he says. Though he swears by secularism, Mehdi8217;s vote-bank consists of primarily the traditional loyalists of the Agha family.

Son of Agha Syed Mustafa, president, Anjuman-e-Sharie-i-Sheyan, a religious body of the Kashmiri Shias, Mehdi launched his political career in 1983 after joining the Congress. He, however, contested the 1987 Assemblypolls as an independent candidate in protest against the Congress-National Conference accord.

Mehdi8217;s elder brother, Agha Syed Hassan, is an executive member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference. A religious preacher, Hassan is also vice-president of the Anjuman and believes the Kashmir problem is purely a religious issue. 8220;I am on a mission of the prophets,8221; he says. 8220;I am a teacher by profession. How can I be silent when the whole of Kashmir is fighting for their genuine rights?8221; he asks.

He claims people follow his brother only for temporary relief. 8220;Whenever a youth is picked up by the security forces, people come running to him for help as he belongs to that camp. There is no other relationship between him and the people,8221; he asserts.

Referring to Mehdi8217;s charge of large-scale rigging in the last parliamentary elections that led to his defeat, Hassan says, 8220;I told him there is no remedy in this system. They will not even let you get your due despite your pro-India credentials.8221;

Hassan8217;spolitical career has been full of contradictions. He even contested elections on the Janata Party ticket in 1977 and was fielded against Mohammad Yousuf Shah, now Syed Salah-ud-din and chief commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit.

Story continues below this ad

How have these sharp differences affected their family ties? 8220;We used to live in the same house but now we stay separately,8221; says Hassan 8220;But even God cannot change this relation as it is a matter of blood.8221; Hassan is today working for establishing a joint forum of Kashmiri Shias.

Interestingly, a maternal uncle of the brothers, Agha Syed Mehmood, is a National Conference leader and a minister in the Farooq Abdullah cabinet.Such contradictions can be seen in most of the political families of Kashmir, whether in the pro-India or separatist camp. Iftikhar Hussain Ansari had been in the Congress for decades before he joined the National Conference government as Housing and Urban Development Minister. Being a staunch pro-India politician, Ansari8217;s entire vote-bankcomprises his family8217;s traditional disciples in north Kashmir. His cousin, Abbas Ansari, also a religious leader, is an executive member of the separatist APHC and bitterly anti-Indian.

Similarly, the Mirwaiz family has been changing its colour from time to time. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the former chairman of APHC, is an important separatist leader. His grandfather was externed from Kashmir for his 8220;anti-India8221; beliefs while Umar8217;s late father was always pro-India and even aligned with the Janata Party. He had even organised a massive reception for Morarji Desai at his residence in downtown Srinagar.

The APHC is itself not free of contradictions between postures taken in public and personal lives. Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani is vehemently anti-India and believes all the constitutional ties between Jamp;K and India are illegal. His politics is based on the belief that Kashmir cannot be a part of India in any case and hence advocates self-determination. But he recently married off his daughter inUP.

Muzamil Jaleel

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More