Hurriyat reunification failure Shah blames ‘invisible hands’

Hurriyat reunification failure

Shah blames ‘invisible hands’

Published:6/26/2011 1:00:00 PMUpdated: 6/26/2011 11:52:13 AMBy: KNS Filed Under: srinagar  

SRINAGAR, June 26 (KNS): Blaming some ‘invisible hands’ within and outside separatist camp as reason for failure of Hurriyat Conference re-unification, senior Hurriyat (M) leader and chairman Democratic Freedom Party, Shabir Ahmad Shah, today said  reunification was his dream.

In an interview with KNS, Shah said, “On June 19, 2008 when we had a meeting at the residence of Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, unification process had almost been finalized and only modalities were left. But then most of us were arrested and the process got derailed.”

Shah blamed some invisible hands within and outside the separatist camp for derailing the process. “Some people did not want unification and were not in favour of it,” he said without elaborating.

Asked to identify those elements, he said, “Time will expose them.”

However, when insisted he blamed Indian agencies for derailing the process. “I was detained under Public Safety Act eight times in the last three years. And the reasons of my detention in the PSA dossiers were that I was making efforts for Hurriyat unification. Re-unification of Hurriyat was not in the interests of Indian agencies as it would have made Hurriyat a vibrant forum,” he claimed.

On Hurriyat (M) restructuring process, Shah told KNS, “We had started the process and all the parties had been asked to suspend there activities and carry forward activities in the name of Hurriyat only. But then I was in jail and the process was stopped.”

To a question as to who was responsible for stopping the process, he said, “There were some internal and external hands to stop the process. Some people did not like restructuring process which I had started in 2008.”

“We will succeed only when we will take people at grass roots level into confidence and there is no better way than that,” he told KNS.

Asked why he has restricted his activities in Hurriyat after being released last year, Shah said, “After my release I had again made an attempt for restructuring. I attended one or two meetings of the Hurriyat. Hurriyat is not anybody’s personal property. Hurriyat is asset of the nation.”

Asked whether some people within Hurriyat (M) did not want to see restructuring and unification, Shah said, “I cannot rule that out?”

The DFP chairman said that anything can be changed in Hurriyat, but for right to self-determination.  “Within the frame work of possibilities anything can be changed in Hurriyat, but right to self-determination condition can not be changed,” he asserted.

Shah said there is no question of contesting elections under Indian constitution. “Why George Bush (senior) and Robin Cook met me? It was because I represented sentiment of Kashmiris. When 11 lakh people came out on the streets at the call of Hurriyat in 2008, it was referendum,” he said.

However, he said,  if elections were held under UN or under the supervision of civil society members from India and Pakistan, “we are ready to participate.”

“If India claims that people of Jammu and Kashmir are not with freedom movement let them hold referendum and see what people want,” DFP president added.

He supported Hurriyat (G) leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s strike politics.

“To achieve something, you have to sacrifice something. When you do not have any other option what will you do. I agree people suffer. But to achieve freedom, you have to make sacrifices,” He said.

On allegations that separatist leaders made lot of money in the name of freedom movement, he said, “Money is important to run any movement. Everybody is a human first. But if we have done something wrong. We are accountable before Allah.”

Asked if New Delhi invites Hurriyat leaders for talks, he said, “We are always ready for talks. We are not against talks between India and Pakistan, but it should be meaningful and purposeful.”