Who is Syed Ali Shah Geelani?
Ninety-year-old Geelani is an ideologue and an advocate of the merger of J&K with Pakistan. Mr. Geelani, who joined the socio-religious Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) as a young boy, objected to Assembly elections from his native Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district in the 1970 s. However, describing the Assembly elections of 1987 as “rigged”, he founded a separatist movement in the 1990 s and his ideas affected both the people on the streets and the fast-growing militant cadre.
Also read: Syed Ali Geelani gives up Hurriyat Conference
What distinguishes Geelani from other separatist leaders?
Mr. Geelani became a hawk even amongst the separatists. He trashed all back-channel and Track II talks in between New Delhi and Srinagar, and Delhi and slamabad. He decided to split the Hurriyat in 2003 after implicating some of its constituents of fielding proxy candidates in the Assembly choose