The Hindu : Other States / Jammu & Kashmir News : Crossing over to other side in a different garb

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 03, 2005

Other States

Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

Crossing over to other side in a different garb

Shujaat Bukhari

Ex-militant going with a "democratic verdict" to Muzaffarrabad as part of a delegation "I hope this will help in building understanding on both sides of Kashmir... involvement of Kashmiris is must and the issue cannot be resolved without their active participation."

SRINAGAR: After 17 years, history is being repeated but with a difference. A Kashmiri, who crossed over to the other side and returned with a gun to kick up a violent struggle, is now going there again but with what he calls the "democratic verdict" of 15 lakh people.

Mohammad Yasin Malik, chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), left his Maisuma house here on Thursday with a lot of prayers for achieving peace. "I wish him all the best," said his mother, who recalls that exactly in the first week of June in 1988, young Yasin went missing from his home and finally "we came to know that he had gone to `Azad Kashmir' to get arms training."

Though Mr. Malik asked his supporters not to make pomp and show over his visit, his journey to Muzaffarabad, as part of a delegation, was not as quiet as it was in 1988.

"Yes, I went across and brought a gun," Mr. Malik admits. He was the leader of five young Kashmiris who took up the gun and changed history. While taking part in the controversial 1987 Assembly elections as the chief agent of the Muslim United Front candidate from Amirakadal, Mohammad Yousuf Shah (now Salahuddin, supreme commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen), Mr. Malik was thrown into jail and "that was the last time Kashmiris lost faith in democracy forever."

A lot of bloodshed occurred in the last 17 years. Mr. Malik now left for PoK with a load of signatures he collected from every nook and corner of Kashmir in two years. "I am going with a democratic verdict of 15 lakh signatures of people of Kashmir who have given their verdict for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue," he told The Hindu shortly before leaving for Muzafarrabad.

"I hope this will help in building understanding on both sides of Kashmir," he said adding "involvement of Kashmiris is must and the issue cannot be resolved without their active participation."

Recalling his tedious journey of hide and seek with the border guards, Mr. Malik said "when we were confronted by the Army on the LoC, one of my friends told me to return saying that I was the lone son of my parents but I was determined to go." He said he had crossed the LoC eight times, without much problem. Mr. Malik's JKLF announced a unilateral ceasefire in 1994 to pursue the struggle politically.

Short-lived celebration

For another separatist leader and chief of the Democratic Freedom Party, Shabir Shah, the historic visit was a disappointment. On Wednesday, he told presspersons that he was given permit to cross the LoC after he mentioned his nationality as "Kashmiris" in the application form. But late in the night, the Passport Office said his form was rejected on the same ground.

However, there was no official confirmation. Sources said he had filed his application for passport only on Wednesday and that it became difficult for the authorities to get clearance from Pakistan. Mr. Shah tried to equate himself with Kashmir's towering leader Sheikh Abdullah, who is believed to have visited Pakistan in 1964 after mentioning his nationality as "Kashmiris" in the travel document. "I am hurt at the decision. As long as Kashmir is in dispute, I will write Kashmiri as my nationality," said Mr. Shah.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News Update

Stories in this Section

Crossing over to other side in a different garb