After Geelani’s resignation, mystery over amalgam’s new chief

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Syed Ali Shah Geelani
Syed Ali Shah Geelani

SRINAGAR — The mystery continues over the successor of Syed Ali Shah Geelani after his resignation from leading the Hurriyat faction even after a week.

As the Hurriyat leaders have maintained silence over the resignation of Geelani from the Hurriyat amalgam, the mystery over his successor continues.

The mystery continues even after a week when senior Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani quit Hurriyat (G), no leader from the organisation has come forward to lead the amalgam.

According to a close confidant of Geelani, who requested not to be named, it is an irony that no one is coming forward to lead the amalgam. “They have been always complaining behind his back that Geelani is not allowing them to lead. Now when he is out, why are they maintaining silence,” he questioned.

He added, “He is too old to fight with anybody, but he has commitment towards the cause, he will continue to do so.”

Insiders in the Hurriyat Conference said that it would be difficult for anyone to fill the Geelani’s shoes at this critical juncture when everything is in disarray and majority of separatist leaders are in Jail. “It is a huge responsibility to keep the flock together and address their egos. The stature of Geelani was keeping them together and everyone was rallying behind him, even his critics,” he said.

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In a sudden move on last Monday, Geelani resigned as chief of his faction of the Hurriyat Conference, complaining that constituents of the amalgam failed to lead the people after abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, “overstepped the limits”, and tried to “create a parallel structure”.

In the letter addressed to the Hurriyat constituents, he took a swipe at the Hurriyat leadership in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, calling it “just a representative forum” with “no power to take any decision” and using its influence to “get close to power corridors” in Pakistan.

The ailing Geelani (91) became lifetime chief of his faction, floated after the split of the Hurriyat Conference in 2003.

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In his resignation letter, Geelani said there was no change in his ideology and that he would “continue to fight”. Without naming anyone, he accused a section of the Hurriyat leadership of abdicating responsibility after the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation into two Union Territories.

“The hope was that they (Hurriyat leaders) would stand against this… and fulfil their responsibilities to encourage the people,” Geelani said in the letter. “Despite unprecedented restrictions and detention, I tried to reach out to you people, but you were not available,” he said.

He said he cannot take responsibility for the “errors” of his associates. “It is beyond my capacity to be answerable to the faults and errors of my colleagues, besides my own. You are free to make a decision for yourself,” he said.

“In view of the present circumstances after pondering over the entire issue, I have decided to dissociate from the Hurriyat Conference,” he said in the resignation letter.

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