Kashmir Watch ,May 2007

By Z.G Muhammad

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, known for his undaunted stand  on right to self-determination is distinctly present every political discourse on Kashmir in Srinagar and New Delhi. Hardly a day passes when his mammoth public rally and pro-Pakistan slogans do not find an echo in Indian Parliament. Bhartya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani and other BJP leaders have been demanding his detention. In Kashmir intriguingly and surprisingly the National Conference leader Dr. Farooq Abdullah has been hailing Geelani for his unshaken political stand. Majority of leaders of Hurriyat Conference (G) were immediately arrested after public rally and detained under Public Safety Act. Under this act any person can be detained for a period of two years without trial.

On 23 April 23, at about nine in the morning I reached the residence of chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani    to have an exclusive interview. Unlike the residence of leaders of the other faction of Hurriyat Conference supporting the four point of formula of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf there were no police and paramilitary guards at his residence. A few volunteers regulated the traffic of supporters and well wishers of the pro-right to self-determination leader. Many important leaders belonging to political parties espousing the cause of right to self-determination were waiting for their turn for having a meeting with him.

 He welcomed me with a smile.  Notwithstanding looking physically week he seemed highly resolute and optimistic about people of Kashmir getting their right to self-determination. He believed that Pakistan nation would stand by the side of people of Kashmir as they stood in the past and would defeat any resolution of Kashmir that goes against the very grain of ideology that has given birth to Pakistan. Critical of Pakistan ruling elite he stated that they were eroding the very ideological edifice on which Pakistan stands by diluting its stand on Kashmir.

Excerpts of interview:

Q. Surging crowds greeted you on your arrival from Mumbai yesterday. How did you feel on seeing their enthusiasm?

A. It was not a reception for an individual but for the cause that we stand for- the cause of right to self-determination. And for our approach to the problems confronting  the  Muslim Ummah all over. It was reception and welcome to our stand on Jammu and Kashmir which  is based on truth. My faith in this stand is as strong as my faith in religion viz oneness of Allah and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) being the last messenger of God. It is an article of my faith that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed area and India’s occupation of this land is illegal. And people also believe in same thing but till date they have been let down by leadership- whether leaders were towering or dwarf. Despite people having suffered immensely for their cause they have been deceived by their leaders who ended up compromising on their cause. But today they see that there is a man who has resolved to stand firmly for the cause of right to self-determination. It is my faith and fidelity in the cause of right to self-determination and my belief in the two nation theory that had made them to throng the streets.

Q. Sir, Allah gave you another lease of Allah and perhaps people of Kashmir still need you and after having survived a difficult operation  what is your new resolution?

A. Allah has showered me with innumerable bounties but Allah has stated in Holy Quran that if you start counting bounties you cannot count them. Allah has helped me a lot. After having survived a third operation my resolution is to make the movement of right to self-determination more effective at public level, add more vibrancy to it and make it more result oriented. It is my firm belief that if people wake up and are united and act on the advice of genuine leaders the movement will be successful. I will never deceive my suppressed nation and tell them something I do not believe in. I believe that India’s occupation in Kashmir has to end and within a couple of years some radical changes will take place in the world. America will have to leave from Iraq and Afghanistan. And in case Israel wants to get recognition for its existence it will have at minimum to go 1967 pre-war position.

This applies to Kashmir also. In case Government of Pakistan under American pressure go for some accord with India compromising on right to self-determination it will not long last. People of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan will not accept it.

Q. India issued a passport to you but USA did not grant you a visa?

A. (Laughs). Yes, India issued me a passport after twenty years and that also for one year only. I said it at the public meeting that the Americans during interview for visa told me that I was a controversial person but I told them that I was not going for political purposes to that country but for treatment, It was doctors advice that had prompted  me to apply for visa. . We could make out that they were not going to allow us the visa so without waiting for a formal reply from them it was decided to get operated at Tata Cancer Hospital, in Mumbai.

Q. Don’t you think that this exposes America’s tall claims of being an ambassador of human rights?

A. If some people are under an illusion about USA human rights policy. I have no illusion- these are just hollow slogans.  America’s identity as on date is that it was worst enemy of Islam and Muslims in the world-  a villain of peace.  This identity of   USA has now taken permanence.

Q. Many  heads of the Muslim countries have been toeing USA policies despite their anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim, Why?.

A. It has been an important trait of ruling class that they are just custodians of their power and whatever they believe in can endanger their power they remain aloof from that. . It has been always there and we need  not to be disappointed over it. There is lot of resentment amongst people all over the world against US hegemony and there is need for harnessing this resentment and giving it a direction. The Muslim elite and intellectuals have a lead role to play in this.

Q. Don’t you think that Muslim Ummah is craving for a leadership? Do you think OIC could play a role in it?

A. There was a role for OIC in October 2000 when USA attacked Afghanistan after 9/11 but at that time it did not play the role and now situation has gone out of their hands. They  cannot do any thing at this juncture. What I believe could be their role was forging unity amongst Muslims.

Q. You might have read the statement of Pakistan Foreign Minister about an accord having been reaching between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, which could be signed any time. What in your opinion could be the accord like?

A. Yes, I did read the statement. In fact prominent Indian lawyer Ram Jethmalani met me in Delhi and shared some details about the accord on anvil with me.. The Accord is nothing beyond changing the name of status quo. India’s sovereignty will continue. India’s armed occupation will continue. Troops would be removed from visible central areas and redeployed; they will  be put in backyards of cities and towns and will continue to be on LOC. For the sake of face saving the so-called autonomy that state enjoyed till 1953 will be restored for the time being. The borders and LOC would be made softer and trade would be allowed between two Kashmir’s. Democracy would be restored in Azad Kashmir and elections would be held here also. But I am confident neither people of Pakistan nor Pakistan  Parliament will approve this accord..

Q. I talked to Mirwaiz Umar a few days earlier about it and he told me that entire opposition in Pakistan other than Jammat-e-Islamia supported Musharraf’s Kashmir policy. What is your information?

A. An outspoken and serious Pakistani leader rang me up yesterday only and said that people will never support this accord. He also told me that the things were going to shape and within a year or two and political scene in that country was going to change.

Q. Do you think there would be people’s protest in Pakistan against this accord? Do you think that people in that country will come in the streets?

A. People in Pakistan are besieged with  their own problems and in view of internal situation in Pakistan there are very little chances of people coming into streets against the Kashmir Accord. The leadership there also is in disarray. The United Action Committee is also beset with internal strifes, the People’s Party is also busy with some accord and Nawaz Sharief is engrossed in his own problems and in this situation I d not think that there would be any massive public protest against the accord in Pakistan.. But it is hard reality that People of Pakistan will not so easily forget the sacrifices that they have offered during past sixty for furthering Kashmir cause. I am confident that over all Pakistan nation will not accept the accord.

Q. Now when you believe that the accord on Kashmir was not going to evoke any organized public protest in Pakistan do you plan to start a movement against the proposed accord?

A. There is already a movement going on in the state. In the press conference about 17 January Hartal we had kept our stand before people and they fully endorsed our stand by observing complete shutdown. And yesterday also you might have seen that overwhelming showed their agreement with our stand about the resolution of Kashmir problem.

People have been braving atrocities, suffering custodial disappearances and facing the draconian laws to stand on the right side and this gives me confidence that people would never surrender their right to self-determination.

Q. Do you think that there are some people outside your Hurriyat who are against  to the proposed accord?

A. Yes, there some leaders outside our Hurriyat also.

Q. Do you think that there is possibility of getting all these leaders on one stage?

A. I said yesterday also at the public meeting that all those political groups and leaders that believe in the  right to self-determination was inalienable   should come and join hands together.

Q. This accord in my opinion will be different than the Indira-Sheikh Accord of 1975. The 1975 Accord failed because it was between Srinagar and Delhi and main party that is Pakistan was  not involved and this time the situation is different the two contending parties, the parties that took this problem to the United Nation and fought three wars over are reaching an accord- an accord that they believe could not be reversed. In such a situation it seems that the fate of right to self-determination for people of the state is sealed for ever?

A. It is not border dispute between India and Pakistan, fundamental party is people of Jammu and Kashmir. They cannot decide fate of Kashmiri in closed rooms. Now when you are referring to the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir- in those resolutions it is clearly stated the people of the state have to decide about the future of the state and not India and Pakistan but it needs to be seen how much people of Pakistan would resist these moves. True, the government of Pakistan might sign an accord but people of Pakistan would not accept this accord. We will get a lot of support there also for the movement against this accord.

Q. So far you have been advocating accession of state of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan as you believe that in conformity partition plan of India,  Kashmir had to be a part of Pakistan. But now Pakistan government has not only  diluted its stand  but almost wriggled out of this demand. As you know in the international forums it is the governments that matters and not the opposition- now when Pakistan government is not in favour of Kashmir joining Pakistan has your ideology changed. Will you now support total independence for the sate?

A. People of Pakistan are with our cause and Government of Pakistan has brought flexibility in its stand under pressure from USA and people are Pakistan are against US policies- so whatever accord is reached will not be permanent. I cannot change my belief  and cause which entrenched in the history of the sub-continent.

Posted on 24 May 2007 by Webmaster