Hurriyat turns soft8217; to win some friends

SRINAGAR, AUG 1: Hurriyat Conference's condemnation on the ban of Amarnath yatra by the Pan-Islamist Harkat-ul-Mujahideen has led credenc...

SRINAGAR, AUG 1: Hurriyat Conference8217;s condemnation on the ban of Amarnath yatra by the Pan-Islamist Harkat-ul-Mujahideen has led credence to the separatist conglomerate8217;s reconciliation to the fact that it has to operate on a moderate and independent policy to win support for their cause8217;.

This, however, has also given an idea as to how the conglomerate, which once enjoyed an overwhelming influence over the militants, has lost influence to a large extent. As a top Hurriyat executive member admitted, 8220;This proves that the dynamics of militancy has undergone a sea change. We have to operate independently as we are a political body. Earlier, there used to be a lot of coordination but slowly the links got severed,8221; he said, on condition of anonymity.

The Hurriyat cannot object to the religious practices of any community because it is not in tune with the basic tenets of Islam, he added. When asked whether the ban on Amarnath yatra wasn8217;t a clear indication of the difference of opinion between the Hurriyatand militants, he said, 8220;As a matter of fact, the boys go according to their own plans. Whether Hurriyat can influence them, now is questionable?8221; Hurriyat Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, when asked about the condemnation of the ban said,8220; This is true that the Babri mosque was demolished and the minorities in India are discriminated against, but this doesn8217;t give us any justification to hamper the religious of other communities. This is against the principles of Islam,8221; Geelani said.

When asked whether this proves that the Hurriyat is no longer in position to prevail upon the militants, Geelani said 8220;We don8217;t have any links with them militants. There is no strategy to influence them, we respect them and they do the same to us.8221;The Harkat-ul-Mujahideen recently imposed a ban on the annual pilgrimage to the holy cave on the plea that the Government of India had failed to reconstruct the Babri mosque in Ayodhya. The outfit, in a recent press release, had also accused the Government for preventingcongregation of Muslims in the country. The Hurriyat, however, was quick to condemn the ban.

The Hurriyat also took a contradictory stand to Harkat8217;s ban on visit of American citizens to Kashmir, after the US asked Pakistan to call back the intruders from Kargil. In contrast to most of the Hurriyat executive members, who went on record expressing solidarity with the Mujahideen8217; and wanting them to hold onto the lofty peaks in Kargil. They even took to streets several times expressing support to the intruders.

Observers here feel that by distancing itself from the radical stand adopted by militants, the secessionist conglomerate is desperately trying to establish itself as a tolerant and far-sighted body, so that it can market itself well outside and, in turn, win more friends. The Kargil crisis, which has boomeranged on Pakistan and Mujahideen, has reinforced this perception, observers here feel.

8220;The Hurriyat wants to operate on a separate frequency to that of the militants because the realisationhas dawned on it that radical approach has few takers. The Kargil crisis is a case in point,8221; said a political analyst, who did not wish to be identified.