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This is an archive article published on September 14, 2002

Proxy face146;s Lone battle

He is the reason why people don8217;t call the former Peoples8217; Conference members participating in these elections rebels, but proxies...

He is the reason why people don8217;t call the former Peoples8217; Conference members participating in these elections rebels, but proxies. Because, for most people, in or out of it, Ghulam Mohideen Sofi is the face of the Peoples8217; Conference.

Contesting from the Handwara constituency ostensibly as an Independent, 51-year-old Sofi was considered one of the closest lieutenants of assassinated Hurriyat leader and Peoples8217; Conference founder Abdul Ghani Lone. Nobody believes him when he says he resigned from his party to contest the polls. They all see it as a face saver for the Hurriyat Conference, which has called a boycott of the elections and of which the Peoples8217; Conference is a constituent.

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3 days To Go: Phase I

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High Court stays shifting of Geelani

SRINAGAR: J-K High Court has stayed the shifting of Hurriyat Executive member Syed Ali Shah Geelani to a jail in J-K from Ranchi in Jharkhand. On Sept 4, the HC had admitted Geelani8217;s lawyer Zahir Shah8217;s plea allowing Geelani8217;s shifting to a state jail from Ranchi on the ground of his failing health.

Horticulture officer moved

SRINAGAR: The govt has shifted Chief Horticulture Officer Pulwams for violating the model code of conduct, an official spokesman said on Friday. As a follow up action to the EC8217;s directive, the officer has been shifted and attached with the Director of Horticulture.

8216;NC trying to eliminate me8217;

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh alleged that the NC had reduced his security cover to 8216;8216;eliminate8217;8217; him. In a statement, he claimed that the govt had denied security to party candidates to ensure that they could not campaign.

JKNPP stages dharna

JAMMU: The JKNPP on Friday staged a dharna in front of Raj Bhavan in protest against the govt8217;s denial to provide security cover to its candidates for the polls. Party chief Bhim Singh led the sit-in protest, before submitting a memorandum to Governor G.C. Saxena, whereby he complained that his candidates have not been provided adequate security despite threats to their life. Agencies

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Sofi, it is believed, was provoked to join the polls by the assassination of Lone, which had left the entire Peoples8217; Conference bitter. A moderate, Lone is believed to have been killed by militants for advocating a peaceful political struggle. There had also been pressure on Sofi from his people, tired of the violence and repression by security forces, to participate in the elections.

8216;I am here to carry forward the mission of Shaheed Lone sahib,8217;8217; Sofi told a massive gathering of supporters soon after he filed his nomination papers. 8216;8216;We are not abandoning our demand for azadi, but in the changed circumstances, we need to change our strategies too. We will plead our rightful case regarding a peaceful and permanent resolution of the Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the aspirations of people, even on the floor of the Assembly.8217;8217;

Sofi also talked of missed opportunities and lack of political maturity among the Hurriyat leadership. 8216;8216;The statement made by US Secretary of State Collin Powel had given us separatists a golden opportunity to establish our credibility. The Hurriyat should have positively responded and jumped into the poll fray and secured the representative character accepted by the international community,8217;8217; he said.

Even now, when Sofi has officially resigned from the Peoples8217; Conference, his speeches and statements seem inspired by the top PC leadership. The party8217;s traditional blue and white flags dot the constituency as Sofi talks in speech after speech about Lone8217;s assasination, his mission to end the sufferings of ordinary people and to save Kashmir8217;s movement from being dubbed another chapter of international terrorism.

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Sofi had joined Lone in 1975 and had been his chief polling agent in the controversial 1983 polls, when Lone was defeated by 14 votes. He also spearheaded Lone8217;s poll campaign during the 1987 elections. 8216;8216;I was extremely disillusioned when we were made to lose through massive rigging,8217;8217; he told The Indian Express.

But if Sofi is nursing any wounds right now, these are of another election. Recently, his victory in the the local shopkeepers8217; association president8217;s election was declared null and void. Sofi blames the ruling National Conference as he has had a long running feud with a local leader of the party and Forest Minister Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan. The latter is now his chief opponent in the coming assembly polls.

8216;8216;I must admit that the fraud committed on us in the Beopar Mandal shopkeepers8217; union elections was a push too far and people wanted to get rid of the NC,8217;8217; he says. 8216;8216;Our supporters had seen so much suppression in NC rule that they demanded immediate relief and there was no way if we kept out of the system.8217;8217;

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

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