Will Abdullahs, Muftis bite Hurriyat’s bait?

Riyaz Masroor
Srinagar, Aug 16: When Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar, during their address to a mammoth condolence meeting at Pampore, sounded willing to embrace the pro-India politicians they actually manifested a significant transition in the separatist politics of J&K – the transition from an exclusivist and self-righteous political position to an inclusive and forward-looking approach. This ‘homecoming’ call has moral, ideological and political underpinnings.
Moral aspect
The backdrop of this ‘offer’ is so much heavily weighing in separatists’ favor that the mere invitation from Hurriyat bigwigs is a huge moral challenge for mainstream politicians. When the uprising in 1990 brought the spotlight back onto the separatist stage the mainstream camp left Kashmir for comfortable environs of Jammu and Delhi. But the latest phase of this uprising has seen them being banished from even Jammu and Delhi.
The humiliation National Conference and PDP leaders faced recently when the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti vetoed their presence in the Governor’s all-party meet was so humiliating that they went into almost hiding after this incident.
Had it been like Laloo Yadaw versus Nitish Kumar in Bihar, Geelani-Mirwaiz duo had the most opportune time to sidestep the mainstream leadership. It would take Geelani and Mirwaiz few moments to direct the anger toward NC and PDP for both parties share culpability in the land transfer row. But on the contrary the separatists are calling home their mainstream cousins. So, with just a bit of reason and large-heartedness separatists have secured a moral point over their mainstream rivals.
Ideological aspect
Syed Ali Geelani was always seen as a ‘hardcore Islamist’ who would never reconcile to subtle political realities. By extending open invite to the mainstream leaders he has actually removed the abstract warp from his ideology of self-determination, making this concept open for all. It is also a magnanimous gesture for it has clarified that Geelani does not claim the ownership of the sentiment and is concerned about the effective advocacy rather than holding the right to decide the case. By not attaching the rhetorical riders such as “if they publicly repent on their sins” Geelani has, in fact, widened his audience and showed the much need statesmanship. So the mainstream camp will be shorn of any ideological pretext.
Political aspect
Mirwaiz’s moderate posturing has long been making the judgment of analysts difficult because his moderateness was always misconstrued as willingness to land in mainstream camp. But Mirwaiz is extending the invite to the mainstream at a time when he has already made his stand abundantly clear. He has rejected elections and is asking for UN-monitored plebiscite. And Geelani is endorsing him amid a renewed popular uprising. At this juncture Mirwaiz’s call to mainstream groups stems from a sense of strength not weakness.
Conclusion
Separatists have, perhaps for the first time, effectively blended the morality with politics. It is for anyone to guess how the mainstream actors would be viewed if they spurn the offer at a time when the sponsors of Jammu agitation don’t discriminate between Farooq Abdullah and Geelani for just one reason: They are Muslims.