Second rung leaders quit moderate Hurriyat

A group of second rung leaders has quit the moderate Hurriyat Conference saying their concerns about the amalgam's functioning were not being addressed.
Those who parted ways with the Hurriyat faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq include Zafar Akbar Bhat, Syed Saleem Gilani, Hakim Rashid, Yasmeen Raja, Bashir Andrabi and Sheikh Yaqoob -- brother of slain separatist leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz.
"There were several issues related to the Constitution of the Hurriyat, its functioning and the need for forming a grand alliance of all freedom loving groups. We conveyed our concerns in meetings of the amalgam as well as to the Chairman but nothing happened over the past two years," Gilani told PTI.

He said the parting of "senior leaders is unfortunate but it has happened".
Asked if the disgruntled leaders would float another outfit, Gilani ruled out such a possibility saying "we will work for unity among the separatists.
"We are in touch with senior resistance leaders ... As the BJP and Sangh parivar are moving rapidly on their anti-Jammu and Kashmir agenda. The need of the hour is that all of us get on one grand platform to fight against it."

A spokesman of the Mirwiaz-led faction rubbished the reasons given by the disgruntled leaders and claimed that they wanted to become members of the powerful decision-naking executive committee of the amalgam.

"What was known in the forum was the keenness of these members to be made part of the executive council and they were trying hard for it," the spokesman said.
He said regarding the Constitution of the Hurriyat or its functioning, they never expressed any disagreement.
"Till yesterday, (they) extended their full support for implementing the programmes of the organisation. So it is quite strange and contradicting that all of a sudden instead of discussing their new found reservations with regard to the Constitution first within the forum, they decide to run to the press," he said.
Hurriyat Conference has seen two splits since its formation in 1993. Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani engineered the first split in 2003 over the proxy participation in assembly elections a year earlier by Sajjad Gani Lone, now a minister in the state government.

The second split took place in January last year when senior leaders Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem Khan parted ways with the Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat.