Syed Ali Geelani Remembered in Solemn Assembly Session

Kashmir legislature remembers late pro-freedom leader Syed Ali Geelani; Leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference died on Sept. 1, 2021

Newly-elected lawmakers of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday remembered late pro-freedom leader Syed Ali Geelani. Geelani was elected member of the legislature in the disputed Kashmir region three times in 1972, 1977, and in 1987, when he resigned.

The current legislature was elected in October, first since India degraded and divided the region into two federally-ruled territories. Abdul Rahim Rather, speaker of the assembly, led the session making obituary references to lawmakers who have passed on since the last legislative session in February 2018.

Geelani, who died on Sept. 1, 2021 at the age of 91, led the pro-freedom grouping of All Parties Hurriyat Conference. Of the total 90 lawmakers, two named Geelani in their speeches.

Ruling National Conference party legislator Bashir Ahmad Veeri paid tributes to Geelani and 56 other deceased lawmakers. “There is another respected personality who has been a member of this house. We might have ideological differences with him but he also represented an aspiration. I pay tributes to Syed Ali Geelani as well,” he said.

Rafiq Ahmad Naik, another legislator from the opposition People’s Democratic Party said: “We are here to pay tributes to great personalities who have been members of this house or held high (constitutional) posts. … among them is Syed Ali Geelani also. Our political ideologies are different but he has been a member of this house. He was a good orator.”

After alleging mass rigging in 1987 legislative elections, which led to loss of Muslim United Front (MUF) political platform, Geelani resigned from his seat. Later in 1989, with the onset of anti-India armed insurgency in the region, the late veteran statesman called for boycott of elections until his death three years ago.

In his obituary reference, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah specifically praised former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “If we had stayed the course Vajpayee had charted for Jammu and Kashmir, we might not be facing today’s challenges,” said Omar, whose National Conference party has majority in the legislature.

Elections in September and October this year were first since 2014 and also first since New Delhi scrapped the special status granted to Indian-administered Kashmir under Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution on Aug. 5, 2019.

Key Highlights

• Geelani’s Political Journey: Geelani was elected from the Sopore constituency in 1972, 1977, and 1987. He later became a central figure in the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), which he helped form in 1993 as an umbrella coalition of separatist groups.
• Tributes from MLAs: PDP MLA from Tral Rafiq Ahmad Naik and ruling National Conference MLA from Srigufwara-Bijbehara Bashir Ahmad Veeri mentioned Geelani’s name in their speeches. Naik highlighted Geelani’s role as a good orator and legislator, while Veeri acknowledged his representation of an aspiration.
• Diverse Political Landscape: The session also paid tribute to other leaders, reflecting the region’s complex political history and the contributions of various individuals to the state and the nation.

The remembrance of Syed Ali Shah Geelani in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly highlights the enduring impact of his political legacy and the diverse perspectives within the region’s political landscape.