Poll fever gives Hurriyat a cold

The Hurriyat’s statements—a meeting has been scheduled for Monday—are part of a last-ditch attempt to avert what could snowball into the worst crisis the separatists have faced ever since they came together in 1993.

In fact, the possibility of a showdown—and even a split—looms large as five key leaders of the People’s Conference are contesting as independent candidates across north Kashmir.

Although PC, a part of the all-powerful seven-member Hurriyat executive, officially claims that it’s not contesting and that its members who contest will be sacked from the party, it is clear that hundreds of PC cadres are joining in the campaign process.

About 15,000 villagers attended a rally at Handwara yesterday to support Ghulam Mohideen Sofi, a close associate of assassinated Hurriyat stalwart Abdul Gani Lone. The rally openly echoed separatist sentiments but the people also vowed to participate in the elections and vote for Sofi.

What the Hurriyat fears is that a high voter turnout in favour of these proxy candidates in north Kashmir—Handwara, Kupwara, Lolab, Karnah and Langate—may marginalise it further in any post-election Kashmir peace process.

Avoiding a direct call for boycott, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, at his Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, asked New Delhi to initiate talks saying he was ready to disscuss elections as well. At the prayers in Sopore, Hurriyat Chairman Abdul Gani Bhat rejected polls saying, ‘‘Those who contest elections will be losers.’’

Though both were clear that elections wasn’t a remedy to resolve the Kashmir issue, there was a difference in their tune and approach. Without directly referring to yesterday’s massive poll rallies in support of People’s Conference leaders in Kupwara and Handwara, Bhat said: ‘‘Those who were renting slogans of aawe ha aawe ha inqilab (a revolution has come)’ should remember that Kashmir was not an electoral issue but a freedom struggle.’’

On the ‘‘proxy candidates’’ of the Peoples Conference, Bhat said: ‘‘Many attempts are being made to break the conglomerate but I must tell you that nobody can break our unity. Only those who will break away from Hurriyat have to strive for existence and survival.’’

Bhat reiterated his no-poll stand: ‘‘Those who believe that they can bring Azadi (freedom) by participating in assembly elections live in fool’s paradise. Farooq Abdullah had won a third majority in similar elections and see what happened to his tiny autonomy demand.’’

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, however, maintained that ‘‘the Hurriyat was not averse to elections but the aim behind such elections should be clear’’. He said ‘‘if New Delhi initiates a dialogue with us (Hurriyat), we are ready to discuss elections as well,’’ he said.

The Mirwaiz said: ‘‘The United States also asked us to contest elections and not to miss this oppurtunity. But we told them that Hurriyat is ready for elections aimed at determining the future dispesation of Kashmir and not for governance of the state.’’ He said that an impression was being created that Hurriyat is acting at Pakistan’s behest.

‘‘Whatever decisions we take are at the behest of the people of Kashmir and we take decisions in the interest of our people. We don’t need any certificate from India or Pakistan for this,’’ he said. For the Hurriyat, expelling the Peoples Conference may be easier said than done.

Under international pressure to participate in the polls, it can’t be seen as taking action against a constituent which joins the election process. And if it remains silent, it’s likely to invite the wrath of militant groups as well as hardliners. with Mir Ehsan