Mirwaiz Put Under House Arrest
Just three days after the modest faction of the Hurriyat Conference did a volte face on its previous decision regarding elections issuing fresh call for poll boycott, its chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been put under house arrest. Moreover, he was not allowed to speak to the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid
It should be mentioned that noting 68% voter turn-out in assembly elections despite the poll boycott, Hurriyat Conference has earlier decided not to go for the same call again in Lok Sabha elections; but given the strong criticism of the decision from Hurriyat’s 23 constituents, the amalgam changed its mind not to look pro-Indian.
According to reports, separatist camps – still inspired and funded from Pakistan – had even issued fatwas against the amalgam, thus forcing Mirwaiz to pull back.
After the killing of his father Mohammad Farooq in 1990 – the former Mirwaiz of Kashmir, a religious title that also gave him a political role – Umar was put in his place when he was just 17. That forced him to become a separatist.
Following elections becoming popular in the Valley last year, Mirwaiz has been left in dilemma, which only became acute when his close aide Sajjad Lone announced his candidature for the Lok Sabha.
