Names Include Afzal Guru’s Brother, Jailed ‘Kashmiri Pied Piper’ Sarjan Barkati
SRINAGAR: Several former militants and separatists, and their relatives, have banded together recently to form a political group named Tahreek-e-Awam to contest J&K’s first assembly elections in a decade — to be held in three phases from Sept 18 to Oct 1. They will contest as independent candidates under the group’s banner.
The move marks a shift in the political landscape of Kashmir, as separatists earlier boycotted elections but are now seeking to join the mainstream.The group includes former members of the banned J&K Jamaat-e-Islami, many of whom plan to join the electoral race.
“This is a good beginning. We should be allowed to contest the elections to prove ourselves in society. An MLA can do better social work than anybody else,” said Adil Ahmad, a member of the group.
According to sources, the decision by these former separatists was influenced by the success of Abdul Rashid Sheikh, better known as Engineer Rashid, who defeated National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone in the Lok Sabha elections despite being imprisoned.
Among the prominent figures is Ajaz Ahmad Guru, brother of Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was hanged in 2013 after being convicted for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack.
Another well-known name is Sarjan Barkati, currently imprisoned in Srinagar on antinational charges related to organising stone-throwing protests in 2016 following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
Known as the “Kashmiri Pied Piper” for his separatist slogans, Barkati has been in jail since Aug 2023, while his wife was arrested in Nov that year in a terrorism-funding case. His daughter is expected to announce his candidacy in the coming days.
Baramulla MP Rashid, currently held in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on terrorism-funding charges, ran his campaign through his two sons and managed to secure more than 4.7 lakh votes, largely attributed to sympathy and Kashmiri sentiment. Members of Tahreek-e-Awam see an opportunity in this wave of sentiment and aim to replicate Rashid’s success, sources said.
Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), though not officially recognised, has announced nearly a dozen independent candidates for the first phase of polling on Sept 18. J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari has approached Rashid’s brother Sheikh Khurshid and sons Abrar and Asrar to discuss a potential alliance.
SRINAGAR: Several former militants and separatists, and their relatives, have banded together recently to form a political group named Tahreek-e-Awam to contest J&K’s first assembly elections in a decade — to be held in three phases from Sept 18 to Oct 1. They will contest as independent candidates under the group’s banner.
The move marks a shift in the political landscape of Kashmir, as separatists earlier boycotted elections but are now seeking to join the mainstream.The group includes former members of the banned J&K Jamaat-e-Islami, many of whom plan to join the electoral race.
“This is a good beginning. We should be allowed to contest the elections to prove ourselves in society. An MLA can do better social work than anybody else,” said Adil Ahmad, a member of the group.
According to sources, the decision by these former separatists was influenced by the success of Abdul Rashid Sheikh, better known as Engineer Rashid, who defeated National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone in the Lok Sabha elections despite being imprisoned.
Among the prominent figures is Ajaz Ahmad Guru, brother of Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was hanged in 2013 after being convicted for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack.
Another well-known name is Sarjan Barkati, currently imprisoned in Srinagar on antinational charges related to organising stone-throwing protests in 2016 following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
Known as the “Kashmiri Pied Piper” for his separatist slogans, Barkati has been in jail since Aug 2023, while his wife was arrested in Nov that year in a terrorism-funding case. His daughter is expected to announce his candidacy in the coming days.
Baramulla MP Rashid, currently held in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on terrorism-funding charges, ran his campaign through his two sons and managed to secure more than 4.7 lakh votes, largely attributed to sympathy and Kashmiri sentiment. Members of Tahreek-e-Awam see an opportunity in this wave of sentiment and aim to replicate Rashid’s success, sources said.
Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), though not officially recognised, has announced nearly a dozen independent candidates for the first phase of polling on Sept 18. J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari has approached Rashid’s brother Sheikh Khurshid and sons Abrar and Asrar to discuss a potential alliance.
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