news details |
|
|
| Hurriyat infighting impels Geelani to call off winter vacation | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Jan 17: Amid growing infighting within the Hurriyat Conference-G led by Syed Ali Geelani, the old man has this year been unable to leave his home-cum-office at Hyderpora here for annual vacations in the national capital New Delhi.
Sources said it is for the first time in the past two decades that January arrived and Geelani is yet to leave for the national capital. Otherwise, annually, on the onset of Chilay Kalan, the chilliest spell of winters in Kashmir, Geelani would rush to spend the winter months in the warmth of New Delhi.
Sources said Geelani fears that if he leaves Kashmir this time, it could affect his leadership and he would be overthrown. "This year due to the growing infighting and uprising against Geelani within his party, he didn't find it feasible to leave his Kashmir office lest he loses his power," said an insider pleading anonymity.
Geelani feels that if he leaves Kashmir the Huriyat (G) constituents may call emergency meeting of the Executive Body only to revoke all decisions that were taken at the previous meeting he himself chaired.
Sources said Geelani fears that his arch rival, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who heads Hurriyat (M) is trying to "destabilize" Hurriyat (G). Geelani had last year gone for "head hunting" into the Mirwaiz camp, making many of his constituents join the rival group. Even two main faces of Hurriyat (M), Shabir Shah and Nayeem Khan formally joined Geelani last year.
But since November 2015, there has been an open rebellion within Hurriyat Conference-G against Geelani while his decisions including recent appointment of leaders like Shabir Shah have been outright challenged.
The wedge within the Geelani's Hurriyat became public after its Executive Council meeting on November 26 when the pro-Pakistan group announced six new committees and cells to be headed by leaders of its constituents.
The Huriyat (G) constituents believe that Geelani deliberately gave key positions to Shah and Nayeem Khan whereas Masrat Alam was ignored. "Geelani is scared of Masrat Alam's popularity and thus in a bid to keep him suppressed in the party ranks, the rise of Shabir Shah was facilitated," said a Hurriyat (G) insider.
Hurriyat leaders opine that decision about organisational restructuring should have been taken after consultation with the constituents. "The decisions were taken unilaterally by him (Geelani) in our absence and thus we cannot go by his dictatorial policies anymore," said a Hurriyat leader.
In November, the Hurriyat-G appointed Syed Ali Shah Geelani as its lifetime chairman while restructuring the separatist amalgam to accommodate leaders like Shabir Shah and Nayeem Khan who earlier last year left the rival faction headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
Geelani has appointed Shah as the secretary general of the hardline Hurriyat faction. On the other hand Geelani's longtime loyalists Ghulam Nabi Sumji and Masarat Alam Bhat (who is lodged in a jail since April this year) were appointed as Shabir Shah's deputies, much to their disappointment.
Besides Shah, Shia leader Agha Syed Hassan and Nayeem Ahmad Khan -- two other notable leaders to switch Hurriyat factions -- were appointed as members to the committee for social and political affairs. Hassan was appointed as the provincial president for Ladakh region while as Khan was appointed as president for Jammu region, where people hate separatists.
Last month the Hurriyat (G) spokesman Ayaz Akbar admitted controversy over Geelani's decisions.
"We are still in the process of restructuring the organisation and much more will follow. There can be changes and additions as well. Nothing regarding the newly-formed committees and cells is final," Akbar said.
Senior police officer said they too were surprised as to how come Geelani stayed back in Kashmir in winters. "But one thing is clear that once Geelani leaves for Delhi his habit of calling for hartals goes into dormancy and the people get a sigh of relief," the police officer told Early Times. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
