SRINAGAR: No less than 25 former militants, separatists, and members of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, and their relations are working as unbiased candidates or on get together tickets in J&Okay first meeting elections in a decade. This marks a notable shift in the direction of mainstream political participation, shifting away from the separatist boycotts which have dominated polls throughout three a long time of militancy.
The record of candidates contains distinguished former separatists comparable to Zaffar Habib Dar, Syed Saleem Geelani, Javid Hubbi, and Aga Muntazir Mehdi.
Zaffar is working as a candidate for J&Okay Apni Get together. He sees participation within the democratic course of as the important thing to resolving the problems in an altered situation for the reason that abrogation of Article 370 in Aug 2019 and the bifurcation of the area into Union territories — J&Okay and Ladakh.
“We are able to clear up issues solely via the electoral course of. Everybody ought to take part within the electoral course of by casting their vote,” Dar stated.
JKLF ex-commander Farooq Ahmad Dar are amongst these working. Dar, also called Saifullah Farooq, is working on a Samajwadi Get together ticket from Habba Kadal constituency. Farooq, who was among the many first militants in 1989 and crossed over to PoK for arms coaching, now regrets his resolution. “That point everybody picked up the gun. We have been misguided by Pakistan brokers in Kashmir,” Dar stated.
After a yr of militancy, he surrendered to police and spent almost 5 years in jail. Farooq, who ran within the 2019 municipal elections on a BJP ticket, is now interesting to voters, emphasising his opposition to Pakistan’s interference in Kashmir.
The Jamaat has strategically fielded unbiased candidates in about 15 constituencies, together with Pulwama, Kulgam, Zainapora, and Devsar in south Kashmir, and Beerwah, Langate, Bandipora, Baramulla, Sopore, and Rafiabad within the north. Notable candidates embody Talat Majid, Sayaar Ahmad, and Hafiz Mohammad.
The Jamaat participated in elections till 1987. It had Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani function an MLA for 3 phrases earlier than the meeting was dissolved in 1990 due to militancy.
Former member Sayaar Ahmad mirrored on the organisation’s lengthy absence from electoral politics. “We by no means referred to as a ballot boycott. We stayed away from elections as there was rigging within the 1987 meeting elections through which Jamaat-e-Islami candidates have been additionally contesting,” Ahmad stated, asserting that participation in elections is now seen as the one option to deal with the area’s long-standing points.
The previous militants and separatists have banded collectively to type a political group named Tahreek-e-Awam to contest the continued elections.
Based on sources, the choice by these former separatists was influenced by the success of Abdul Rashid Sheikh, higher often known as Engineer Rashid, who defeated Nationwide Convention vp Omar Abdullah and Folks’s Convention president Sajad Gani Lone in Baramulla through the Lok Sabha elections regardless of being imprisoned.
Rashid managed to safe greater than 4.7 lakh votes, largely attributed to sympathy and Kashmiri sentiment. Members of Tahreek-e-Awam see a chance on this wave of sentiment and goal to duplicate Rashid’s success, sources stated. Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Get together (AIP), although not formally recognised, has additionally introduced unbiased candidates for elections.
The record of candidates contains distinguished former separatists comparable to Zaffar Habib Dar, Syed Saleem Geelani, Javid Hubbi, and Aga Muntazir Mehdi.
Zaffar is working as a candidate for J&Okay Apni Get together. He sees participation within the democratic course of as the important thing to resolving the problems in an altered situation for the reason that abrogation of Article 370 in Aug 2019 and the bifurcation of the area into Union territories — J&Okay and Ladakh.
“We are able to clear up issues solely via the electoral course of. Everybody ought to take part within the electoral course of by casting their vote,” Dar stated.
JKLF ex-commander Farooq Ahmad Dar are amongst these working. Dar, also called Saifullah Farooq, is working on a Samajwadi Get together ticket from Habba Kadal constituency. Farooq, who was among the many first militants in 1989 and crossed over to PoK for arms coaching, now regrets his resolution. “That point everybody picked up the gun. We have been misguided by Pakistan brokers in Kashmir,” Dar stated.
After a yr of militancy, he surrendered to police and spent almost 5 years in jail. Farooq, who ran within the 2019 municipal elections on a BJP ticket, is now interesting to voters, emphasising his opposition to Pakistan’s interference in Kashmir.
The Jamaat has strategically fielded unbiased candidates in about 15 constituencies, together with Pulwama, Kulgam, Zainapora, and Devsar in south Kashmir, and Beerwah, Langate, Bandipora, Baramulla, Sopore, and Rafiabad within the north. Notable candidates embody Talat Majid, Sayaar Ahmad, and Hafiz Mohammad.
The Jamaat participated in elections till 1987. It had Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani function an MLA for 3 phrases earlier than the meeting was dissolved in 1990 due to militancy.
Former member Sayaar Ahmad mirrored on the organisation’s lengthy absence from electoral politics. “We by no means referred to as a ballot boycott. We stayed away from elections as there was rigging within the 1987 meeting elections through which Jamaat-e-Islami candidates have been additionally contesting,” Ahmad stated, asserting that participation in elections is now seen as the one option to deal with the area’s long-standing points.
The previous militants and separatists have banded collectively to type a political group named Tahreek-e-Awam to contest the continued elections.
Based on sources, the choice by these former separatists was influenced by the success of Abdul Rashid Sheikh, higher often known as Engineer Rashid, who defeated Nationwide Convention vp Omar Abdullah and Folks’s Convention president Sajad Gani Lone in Baramulla through the Lok Sabha elections regardless of being imprisoned.
Rashid managed to safe greater than 4.7 lakh votes, largely attributed to sympathy and Kashmiri sentiment. Members of Tahreek-e-Awam see a chance on this wave of sentiment and goal to duplicate Rashid’s success, sources stated. Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Get together (AIP), although not formally recognised, has additionally introduced unbiased candidates for elections.
