THE most prominent proxy face of the People8217;s Conference, 51-year-old Ghulam Mohideen Sofi, who is contesting as an Independent candidate from Handwara constituency, was a trusted aide of the late Abdul Gani Lone.
Sofi joined Lone8217;s party in 1975 and acted as his polling agent in the 1983 elections, which the late PC leader lost by 14 votes. Four years later, Sofi once again led Lone8217;s election campaign.
By participating in the polls, Sofi says he is only 8216;8216;carrying forward Lone8217;s legacy8217;8217;, which envisages an amicable resolution of the Kashmir issue. He believes that contesting the elections is not tantamount to 8216;8216;abandoning the struggle for Azadi8217;8217;. Instead, it means pleading for the cause of Kashmir in a democratic way.
Addressing huge gatherings during his polls campaigns, Sofi advocates the need to change strategies for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute, as per the wishes of the Kashmiris, in the current international scenario.
Lashing out at the Hurriyat8217;s political immaturity, he thunders: 8216;8216;Colin Powell8217;s statement provided us the Hurriyat with a golden opportunity. We should have grabbed it. What do they want us to do? Should we postpone our day-to-day problems till our political struggle is over? We want freedom. We are part of this movement and we have given a lot of sacrifices for it.8217;8217;
Sofi has another agenda too. Having lived under Lone8217;s shadow in the Handwara belt, Sofi has a running political feud with NC strongman and Forest Minister Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, who is now pitted against him in the polls.
For all purposes, Sofi has resigned from the PC membership. However, his statements are more or less in keeping with the top party leadership. And the party8217;s colours are visible in his constituency, which displays the blue-and-white flags and buntings.
As he assures the people that the separatist issue will be raised in the Assembly, Sofi also vows to 8216;8216;disband the forces that have indulged in human rights violations and end corruption and misgovernance.8217;8217;
Mirchal: The weakest link
NAZIR MASOODI
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ABDUL Rashid Mirchal is the People8217;s Conference proxy candidate in Karnah Assembly constituency. But unlike the party8217;s other proxies in Kupwara district, he is not considered a strong candidate.
The PC only started to re-establish its base in Karnah last year. Now it faces a tough fight from the two other parties in the fray 8212; the National Conference and the Congress, both of which enjoy considerable support. In fact, despite the anti-incumbency factor, the main contest seems to be between NC nominee and sitting MLA Kafeel-u-Rehman and Mohammad Sikader Khan of the Congress.
After the 1995 delimitation, Karnah Assembly segment mainly comprises of Paharis. Only 25 per cent of the voters are Gujjars. As the area is considered 8216;8216;militancy-free8217;8217;, local issues, especially development and employment, dominates regional politics. So Mirchal cannot woo voters with the Azadi poll plank. Incidentally, this was the only area in frontier Kupwara where the poll percentage was over 60 per cent in the 1996 elections.
Lone party backs ex-NC man
NAZIR MASOODI
AN old guard of the National Conference, Ghulam Qadir Mir is now backed by the Peoples8217; Conference in the contest against NC candidate Mir Saifulla for the Kupwara seat.
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A former minister, Mir was a close associate of NC founder, the late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, and joined the Jammu and Kashmir Plebiscite Front, spearheaded by Abdullah in 1962. In 1966, he was appointed acting president of the Plebiscite Front.
In 1971, Mir was arrested and jailed for one year. He won the 1977 elections on a NC ticket and was appointed as minister in Abdullah8217;s Cabinet. However, he lost the 1983 elections to Peoples8217; Conference founder Abdul Gani Lone.
This time, after Mir was denied a ticket by the National Conference, which decided to field its sitting MLA from Kupwara, Mir Saifullah, he filed his nomination as an Independent candidate. His nomination, however, is fully backed by the People8217;s Conference, which has roped in its supporters for Mir8217;s poll campaign.
With Mir belonging to Lone8217;s village of Harie in Kralpora block, he is expected to receive massive support from the block. While his decision to contest as an Independent may not have affected the party cadre in the area, Mir is reported to have wooed a number of old NC workers. Now, the PC8217;s support has ended the decades-old feud between the Lone and Mir families.
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
