8216;No surrender to India8217;

There are scores of people who believe you have a vested interest in maintaining a hardline approach. Dividing the Hurriyat is seen as one m...

There are scores of people who believe you have a vested interest in maintaining a hardline approach. Dividing the Hurriyat is seen as one manifestation.

It is an absolute lie that I divided the Hurriyat. Hurriyat8217;s constitution was violated and we have thrown those people out. And about my hardline approach, we are very realistic people as far as the Kashmir problem is concerned. We want India to abide by its commitment to the United Nations.

Common people have borne the brunt of violence over these years. Is there a way out of this daily bloodshed?

Nobody would be more eager for peace than we Kashmiri ourselves. We are the worst sufferers of Indian atrocities. But our desire for peace should not be confused with surrender. India wants us to surrender before its might.

In today8217;s world people frown on violence to achieve political ends. Will you ask militant groups to give up violence and come to the negotiating table?

First, I have no influence with militant groups. Second for any talks to succeed, India has to accept the disputed nature of the Kashmir problem. It8217;s pointless to talk to Ram Jethmalani or even Vajpayee if they aren8217;t sincere. We aren8217;t believers of violence. Why does India forget that on one hand Gandhiji fought against the British Raj peacefully but, on the other hand, Subhas Chandra Bose raised the Indian National Army?

Your rival Maulvi Abbas Ansari is prepared to give up the post of chairman of the Hurriyat if that causes a patch-up.

There can be no reconciliation as they have deviated from the Hurriyat constitution. It8217;s history now. The Organisation of Islamic Conference8217;s invitation to me to attend two OIC sessions in New York is recognition of our group as the real Hurriyat.

BLACK038;WHITE: RELATED STORIES

AND THE GUNS RETURN TO PARADISE

THE VIEW/FROM ABROAD: Talks? Dialogue? Are you crazy?

THE VIEW/AT HOME: When too many people talk too much

THE VIEW/KASHMIR WATCHERS: It8217;s getting better 8230; no, worse

INTERVIEW/SYED ALI GEELANI: 8216;No surrender to India8217;

INTERVIEW/MAULVI ABBAS ANSARI: 8216;It8217;s a post-9/11 world8217;