COVER STORY
The Man Behind the Armor Syed Ali Shah Geelani — the moving spirit of the Kashmiri freedom struggle
I
BY GHULAM NABI MIR
first met Syed Ali Shah Geelani (b. first post-occupation elected prime minis- GEELANI THE MAN 1929) in 1963 as a college freshman Geelani has never been a big talker in Sopore, the famous north-central and almost never resorted to public Kashmiri college town. rhetoric and argument. But when he Sopore, the bustling center of the came on the public stage, he was prostate’s apple industry and regional comlific, thoughtful and thunderous. His merce, was then — and for decades has speeches were pieces of art, a flowery been — the epicenter of the Kashmiri mix of Kashmiri and Urdu phraseology freedom struggle. It has always stood — interspersed with Quranic verses, out for its defiance against India’s coloexamples from the Hadith and couplets nialist occupation. of the great poet-philosophers — Iqbal Geelani’s character, personality, and Rumi. demeanor and, above all, his spectacuHis speeches would start softly with lar oratory in Kashmiri and Urdu made his hands humbly folded below his an impression on youth and adults chest. His voice would gradually rise to alike. I was no exception. By the time a crescendo, and his hands would start I met him, he was already becoming moving rhythmically with the cadence an iconic political and religious figure of his speech. He was a master of his among college students. own solo orchestra, for the audience Later on, during my medical college swayed and sobbed, sometimes audibly years in Srinagar, the summer capital and nearly always with eyes welling up of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), I met with tears. Then his voice would slowly him several times. de-crescendo, as if to gently land his In 1971, Geelani was elected to the audience because it would be time to go home. There would often be calls of [Indian-occupied] J&K Legislative Assembly on the Jamaat-e-Islami “Encore! Encore!” and he would oblige, J&K ticket (banned by India in 2019). only because his beloved youth always By then he had matured as a political wanted more. GEELANI’S CHARACTER, leader with an increasingly crystallized Geelani was never audacious, view of Kashmir’s destiny. He wanted pompous, or pungent. Just the oppoPERSONALITY, DEMEANOR AND, to settle for nothing less than the right site. Even at the peak of his political to self-determination enshrined in the ABOVE ALL, HIS SPECTACULAR career and vibrancy, he was always UN Security Council’s Resolution 47, gentle and humble. Like many other ORATORY IN KASHMIRI AND adopted on April 21, 1948, and on Jan. students, I also recall once walking with URDU MADE AN IMPRESSION him for a few hundred yards in Sopore’s 5, 1949, “The question of the accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir ON YOUTH AND ADULTS ALIKE. bazaar. People would stop him, and to India or Pakistan will be decided he would oblige, hug them, and shake I WAS NO EXCEPTION. through the democratic method of a their hands. I remember that he would free and impartial plebiscite:”. pointedly walk toward Hindu and Sikh Unfortunately, Shaikh Mohammad shopkeepers, and how they would rise and rush to hug him and shake hands Abdullah (1905-82) essentially abandoned this cause after spending 11 years in ter. A strong opponent of Hari Singh’s rule — as if they were bosom brothers or friends. Indian prisons. Known as “Sher-e-Kashmir” and an outspoken advocate of self-rule, he Geelani is not a worldly man, but a man (the Lion of Kashmir), Abdullah was one was eventually broken by 11 years of harsh of tremendous civility, sophistication and of the founding leaders of the All Jammu prison treatment. That would be the first finesse. He is a remarkable blend of resis& Kashmir Muslim Conference which he act of decapitation of political leadership of tance, resilience and accommodation. When left, then founding the Jammu and Kashmir those Kashmiris living under Indian rule. it comes to principles, he is uncompromisNational Conference, and the princely state’s ing, but on matters of personal need he is 20 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MARCH/APRIL 2021
