It seems all is not well within the so-called moderate faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference alliance even after it revoked its earlier decision suspending one of its founding constituents, Jammu and Kashmir Itehad-ul-Muslimeen, over its patron moulvi Abbas Ansari’s holding a meeting with the Centre’s interlocutors in April 2011.
The Itehad has termed the decision as “delightsome” and said it only vindicates its stance on the issues. Yet, it does not appear to be any enthusiastic about rejoining the conglomerate faction. “The matter is already before our central executive which alone can decide whether to return to the Hurriyat Conference or not,” said Moulvi Masroor Abbas, the president of the Itehad, necessarily a Shia political and religious party. He added the central executive will meet soon to take up the issue.
It has also questioned the Hurriyat Conference faction leadership’s decision to meet the Kashmir Committee led by lawyer Ram Jethmalani which began a five-day visit of Srinagar on Thursday to renew its effort seeking “an enduring solution to the Kashmir problem” by meeting various stakeholders including separatist and mainstream political leaders.
“Our membership in the Hurriyat Conference was suspended merely on the ground that the Centre’s interlocutors, who arrived at our patron’s doorstep unexpectedly and in deference to Islamic practice of virtue and disposition and Kashmir’s traditional warm hospitality he served them tea but, at the same time, put across the Hurriyat Conference’s decision with regard to holding talks with them and here you are willing to meet and hold talks with the Kashmir Committee,” said the Itehad president.
A statement issued by the party here added the nature of the Kashmir Committee was not any different from that of the Centre’s interlocutors.