FairPoint: Outlawed Jamaat-e-Islami’s keenness to fight J&K polls raises questions

New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) Why is the outlawed Jamaat-e-Islami keen on fighting elections in J&K? An outfit declared a threat to the nation’s security has suddenly become a hot topic in the valley, with several leaders in Kashmir vehemently arguing for and on it.

Even as the ban is on, the outfit has put up its members and activists as Independent candidates and, in several constituencies, has even declared its support to certain parties.

Top valley leaders, including Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah, Sajad Lone, Farooq Abdullah, and Altaf Bukhari, are advocating for revoking the ban on Jamaat and allowing its members to participate in the elections. National Conference chief and MP Farooq Abdullah stated that Jamaat should participate in elections, adding that it was a good sign if the outfit is contesting. Jamaat and its supporters have been repeatedly urging the Centre to lift the ban and allow it to contest polls.

The outfit was banned in February 2019 after the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The ban was reimposed in February this year.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his post on social media platform X said the organisation was found continuing its activities against the nation’s security, integrity and sovereignty and that anyone threatening the nation’s security would face ruthless measures.

So, an outfit which is declared anti-India has a sudden change of heart! An outfit that played a devious role during the terror-ridden decades in the union territory, leading to the deaths of thousands and the uprooting of lakhs of Hindus, has overnight turned into a peace-loving protagonist? This is something which cannot be taken at face value. Someone has rightly said never take anything at face value, dare to question and seek truth.

Jamaat’s truth is ugly. It calls itself a cadre-based socio-religious-political organisation, but it has a set agenda of total Islamisation. It is widely believed to be the ideological fountainhead of Hizbul Mujahideen, one of the largest terrorist groups in Kashmir which along with the other banned group, the JKLF, unleashed a reign of terror on the Kashmiri Hindus and all those perceived to be pro-India in the 1990s. Its cadres have acted as the eyes and ears of the Pakistani establishment, helping to carry out terrorist and separatist activities.

Jamaat also helped raise finances for various terrorist groups, with its cadres often emerging as their support system. All these decades it has been camouflaging itself since it runs schools, orphanages, colleges and madrasas, and holds regular religious gatherings.

Vitriolic Syed Ali Shah Geelani was one of its patriarchs who openly advocated for J&K’s amalgamation with Pakistan. He openly used to express his hatred against India, especially after 1987, when it was alleged that the Assembly elections were rigged and Jamaat candidates were said to have lost even though they had won elections. This is said to be the reason for the cause of terrorism to have struck roots in the valley.

But, does losing an election push one to go anti-country and target minorities, the Hindus in particular? While the election loss theory is often cited to justify the separatist uprising, the designs were weaved much earlier. And, this was revealed in 1986, after the locks of Babri Masjid were opened and Kashmiri Pandits were attacked in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Jamaat played a crucial role in engineering the anti-Kashmiri Pandit violence. Several temples were desecrated, and Hindu properties were attacked. It was a common view in those days that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had allegedly pushed the Jamaat cadres.

The 1986 Anantnag violence was said to be a dress rehearsal for the 1990 purge of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. And after 1988, full-blown terror violence had taken over. Hindus were targeted and hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits were brutally killed. Finally, lakhs of Hindus were forced to flee their homes.

Jamaat’s core agenda was Islamic radicalisation and it successfully achieved it with the expulsion of the original inhabitants of the valley, Kashmiri Pandits.

Jamaat was also instrumental in organising the widespread unrest and violence during the 2008 Amarnath row when the Congress government in the erstwhile state decided to transfer 100 acres of forestland to the Amarnath Shrine Board. It, similarly, was successful in organising several violent agitations, mass stone pelting and attacks on the security forces.

After the Centre’s crackdown on its activities, including the seizure of its assets, it has been choking on funds, which it used for secessionist activities. The NIA, which has been conducting raids and investigations against the outfit, stated some time ago that Jamaat collected funds purportedly for welfare activities but were instead used for carrying out secessionist activities.

Having lost much in the Centre’s crackdown, the outfit is now desperate to sustain its losing cadre and salvage its sagging morale. And for this, elections are a good means to rise, the outfit leaders believe. The victory of Engineer Rashid in the Lok Sabha elections has perhaps shown them the way.

(Deepika Bhan can be contacted at deepika.b&ians.in)

–IANS

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