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| Geelani mischief needs be nailed | |
By Yash Bhasin
Until and unless he discloses the names and identity of the persons who he claims had called on him in Delhi on Mar. 22 as emissaries of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narinder Modi, offering to take him on board in solving the Kashmir imbroglio, assuring him of Modi’s soft approach towards the same, the hard line separatist and Islamic fundamentalist Kashmiri leader, Sayed Ali Shah Geelani is in the dock. The plea taken by his aide that Geelani is on oath to not disclose the identity of the persons will not do and absolve Geelani of telling a lie, with some mischief in his mind.
Geelani’s statement has triggered hot debate in J&K as well in the country, with speculations rife over his real motive to create the sensation. Geelani on Saturday had stated that two Kashmiri Pandits as emissaries of Modi had called on him, to convey Modi’s soft approach towards the Kashmir problem and his readiness to resolve the issue amicably. Stating that some separatist Kashmiri leaders, belonging to the faction other than his own were already holding parleys with Modi and his close confidents, but he had rejected the offer of his emissaries to engage in dialogue with Modi men, adding that Modi is an RSS man and a Muslim hater with whom he can have no truck and whom can’t trust.
Although he didn’t name the other separatist leaders who are in touch with Modi or his aides, the so called soft line Hurriyat Conference chairman, Mirwiz Umar Farooq has reacted sharply, stating who the hell Geelani is and charging the latter of projecting himself as holier than dhou. Moulvi Farooq has also charged Geelani of considering himself as the sole custodian of the Azadi Movement in Kashmir, terming others as indulging in sellout of the movement. He has blatantly denied having ever talked to any Modi aide. It is despite the fact that Moulvi Farooq is on record to have earlier expressed the hope that Narinder Modi being a decisive and strong leader can solve the Kashmir problem once for all. At least some people in Kashmir believe so, Moulvi Umar has added.
An English daily, published from New Delhi, has on the baises of inputs from intelligent sources disclosed the identity of the persons, who Geelani claims had contacted him on behalf of Modi. They are Sanjay Saraf, a youth LJP leader, who is settled in Delhi and Raman Mattoo. The latter is a businessman, also dealing in real estate business and was under allegations of land grabbing. He accidently got elected to the J&K state assembly from Habakadal constituency of Srinagar city in 2002, amidst boycott of the polls by Kashmiri Muslims and only KPs voting in exile in Jammu. Though elected as an independent, he became associated member of the Congress and was inducted in the Congress-PDP coalition govt. as MoS. Mr. Matto is the son-in-law of Late Pyara Lal Handoo, a senior NC leader and Cabinet minister in Farooq led governments for three terms, holding important portfolios.
Sanjay Saraf has admitted that he has been off and on calling on the veteran separatist leader Sayed Ali Shah Geelani, for whom he has regards. But these meetings are purely personal and he has never claimed himself to be emissary of Narinder Modi and had carried no message from Modi to Geelani. It may be mentioned here that Lok Janshakti party president Ram Vilas Paswan has quite a soft corner for Sayeed Geelani and other separatist leaders in Kashmir. He has been invariably advocating the cause of Kashmiri Separatists and holding parleys with them whenever he visits Kashmir. However, after joining the NDA, what is the stand of LJP and Paswan on Kashmir issue and the position of separatists, particularly the hardcore ones is not spelled by Paswan or his party. The alliance of LJP with BJP, as members of NDA is confined only to Bihar or some other parts of the country and not in J&K. Even during Vajpayee headed NDA government in the country, many coalition partners of BJP in the NDA government had their Kashmir policy and stand at variance with that of BJP. So much so that JDU leader George Frenedes, who was the defence minister in Vajpayee government had a soft corner for Kashmiri Separatists and his views about them were at variance with those of the BJP leaders. It was not withstanding Vajpayee government in 2001 unilaterally announcing cease fire against Kashmiri militants offering them to come on the negotiation table, shedding guns and eschewing violence. He had also engaged the separatists groups in talks with the Union Home minister as well as adopting track second diplomacy, through his close confident A.K Daulat, the chief of RAW.
BJP has forcefully refuted Geelani’s claim of Modi having sent some emissaries to him offering soft approach on Kashmir issue, asking Geelani to either name the persons who he claime had called on him on behalf of Modi or alternatively apologies from the country for telling a lie and trying to create confusion in public mind about the BJP’s stand and professed approach towards the Kashmir issue. BJP’s spokes persons have categorically stated that the party and any of its leaders can have no truck with hardcore separatists like Geelani.
Shrewd politician, as Modi is, who is taking every step and making every move with great caution and calculation can’t be expected to approach Geelani through persons like Sanjay Saraf and Raman Mattoo, with whom he has hardly any equation and whom he can hardly trust to engage for such a delicate task. Thus the ball is in Geelani’s court to identify the persons who he claims had called on him as emissaries of Modi and also substantiate his claim of offer made to him. Otherwise his claim will be dubbed as a white lie and a mischief.
What objective Geelani could have in creating sensation is a matter of surmise. His claim that some leaders from the separatist’s camp in Kashmir are already holding parleys with Modi men can be aimed at blaming his rival separatist leaders for their sellout of the movement and projecting himself as the only sincere and committed leader to the cause of ongoing movement in Kashmir. As far his other claim of Modi approaching him through his emissaries can be aimed at harming the prospectus of BJP in the elections by creating confusion in the minds of what is called right wing or strong nationalist electorates about BJP’s and Narinder Modi’s duplicity over Kashmir issue and their approach towards the anti national elements in Kashmir. It can be a part of broader move to stop Modi from becoming prime minister of the country, with BJP and NDA gaining absolute majority. But on whose behalf he has acted is a matter of speculation.
(The writer is senior journalist of J&K State)
(Opinions expressed in write-ups/articles/Letters are the sole responsibility of the authors and they may not represent the scoopnews.in)
Editor, Scoop News
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