The Man Behind the Armor

Syed Ali Shah Geelani — the moving spirit of the Kashmiri freedom struggle

BY GHULAM NABI MIR

Ifirst met Syed Ali Shah Geelani act of decapitation of political leader(b. 1929) in 1963 as a college ship of those Kashmiris living under freshman in Sopore, the famous Indian rule. north-central Kashmiri college town. GEELANI THE MAN

Sopore, the bustling center of the Geelani has never been a big talker state’s apple industry and regional com- and almost never resorted to public merce, was then — and for decades has rhetoric and argument. But when he been — the epicenter of the Kashmiri came on the public stage, he was profreedom struggle. It has always stood lific, thoughtful and thunderous. His out for its defiance against India’s colo- speeches were pieces of art, a flowery nialist occupation. mix of Kashmiri and Urdu phraseology

Geelani’s character, personality, — interspersed with Quranic verses, demeanor and, above all, his spectacu- examples from the Hadith and couplets lar oratory in Kashmiri and Urdu made of the great poet-philosophers — Iqbal an impression on youth and adults and Rumi. alike. I was no exception. By the time His speeches would start softly with I met him, he was already becoming his hands humbly folded below his an iconic political and religious figure chest. His voice would gradually rise to among college students. a crescendo, and his hands would start

Later on, during my medical college moving rhythmically with the cadence years in Srinagar, the summer capital of his speech. He was a master of his of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), I met own solo orchestra, for the audience him several times. swayed and sobbed, sometimes audibly

In 1971, Geelani was elected to the and nearly always with eyes welling up [Indian-occupied] J&K Legislative with tears. Then his voice would slowly Assembly on the Jamaat-e-Islami de-crescendo, as if to gently land his J&K ticket (banned by India in 2019). GEELANI’S CHARACTER, audience because it would be time to By then he had matured as a political leader with an increasingly crystallized PERSONALITY, DEMEANOR AND, go home. There would often be calls of “Encore! Encore!” and he would oblige, view of Kashmir’s destiny. He wanted ABOVE ALL, HIS SPECTACULAR only because his beloved youth always to settle for nothing less than the right ORATORY IN KASHMIRI AND wanted more. to self-determination enshrined in the UN Security Council’s Resolution 47, URDU MADE AN IMPRESSION Geelani was never audacious, pompous, or pungent. Just the opposite. adopted on April 21, 1948, and on Jan. ON YOUTH AND ADULTS ALIKE. Even at the peak of his political career 5, 1949, “The question of the accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir I WAS NO EXCEPTION. and vibrancy, he was always gentle and humble. Like many other students, I to India or Pakistan will be decided also recall once walking with him for through the democratic method of a a few hundred yards in Sopore’s bazaar. free and impartial plebiscite:”. People would stop him, and he would

Unfortunately, Shaikh Mohammad then founding the Jammu and Kashmir oblige, hug them, and shake their hands. Abdullah (1905-82) essentially abandoned National Conference, and the princely state’s I remember that he would pointedly walk this cause after spending 11 years in Indian first post-occupation elected prime minis- toward Hindu and Sikh shopkeepers, and prisons. Known as “Sher-e-Kashmir” (the ter. A strong opponent of Hari Singh’s rule how they would rise and rush to hug him Lion of Kashmir), Abdullah was one of and an outspoken advocate of self-rule, he and shake hands — as if they were bosom the founding leaders of the All Jammu & was eventually broken by 11 years of harsh brothers or friends. Kashmir Muslim Conference which he left, prison treatment. That would be the first Geelani is not a worldly man, but a man

of tremendous civility, sophistication and finesse. He is a remarkable blend of resistance, resilience and accommodation. When it comes to principles, he is uncompromising, but on matters of personal need he is very accommodating.

In 1981, some of us had the privilege of hosting him in Ohio when he came to the U.S. to address the ISNA Convention. The man, who I saw up close, was selfless and void of all worldly ambition or greed.

Geelani is a profound scholar, an intellectual, a writer and, above all, a political leader who will not compromise on the Kashmiris’ right of self-determination. A fearless warrior for peace, justice and equity who has never been intimidated by the force of arms, he has never picked up a gun or promoted wanton violence.

He defends the rights of all illegally occupied nations to take all necessary measures allowed within international law and norms, to free themselves from their oppressors.

Everything he has ever written — his 30 books, including his autobiography (Wular Kinaray [On the Banks of River Wular], Millat Publications, 2012), which he penned during his internment in Indian prisons — gives a great insight into his view of humanity. He was imprisoned for more than 12 years in aggregate since his first arrest in 1962. He repeatedly addressed his Hindu Indian tormentors with dignity and respect while they humiliated him as if he were a hardened criminal.

His political outlook is simply one of not just ending the world’s many conflicts—ranging from Kashmir to Palestine and beyond, but also of eliminating their underlying causes. He believes that violence will end only when tyranny ends. But he also believes that the innocent should never be targeted, no matter how sacred the cause.

In the case of Kashmir, Geelani believes that the people of J&K must be allowed to exercise their UN-mandated right of self-determination. He frequently invokes the solemn pledge of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), to let the Kashmiris determine their own political future through a free and fair plebiscite.

While he is not against bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan, he maintains that dialogue should be a means to set the stage for the rightful representatives of J&K to determine their fate. Neither India nor Pakistan, or any single political grouping

Wular Kinaray [On the Banks of River Wular]

in J&K, should be given the right to decide the now-divided state’s future.

THE FIRM COURSE Changing the course or the narrative of the Kashmiri freedom struggle 73 years on does not guarantee any better results. The UNSC resolutions provide a critical international justification for waging the Kashmiri struggle. Although the struggle has been so long, the cause is finally attracting more attention, and the world is more aware of the cause that Geelani and his people are struggling for. Moreover, Geelani’s decision to not give up on the UN has been right all along.

Pro-Indian client politicians like those in the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD; formerly known as Gupkar Declaration) founded by the dynastic politicians Farooq Abdullah (Jammu & Kashmir National Conference) and Mehbooba Mufti (People’s Democratic Party) last year, have no credibility among the masses. They have always been a sideshow of the real freedom struggle, beneficiaries of the political system imposed or tolerated by the Indian government at the expense of the Kashmiris’ legitimate aspirations.

What makes Geelani the bulwark of Kashmiri resistance is his vision, faith, courage and constancy — his lifelong sacrifice for the cherished cause of Kashmir. He does not entertain fear of India. Nor do hurdles deter him, and age has not diminished his charisma. Kashmiris are praying that he lives even longer than he already has so that he can keep on guiding them against the odds.

I vividly remember him whispering in my ear during a hug in 1965 at a bus stand in Sopore — soon after I had entered medical college — “We badly need the youth.” I was then 18. I am sure thousands of youth have heard that whisper. This is the message that I would like to share with my beloved youth of Kashmir everywhere.

The leadership of the World Kashmir Awareness Forum (https://kashmirawareness.org) has a long history of advocating for the Kashmir cause on the international stage. Its goal aligns with the Kashmiris’ known wishes and aspirations — empowering them to achieve the right of self-determination.

Since India’s unilateral revocation of J&K’s limited autonomy on Aug. 5, 2019 — enshrined in Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in 1949 — this cause has gained more support, and the Kashmiri diaspora has become actively involved on several levels. Thus, the awareness and advocacy campaign has — and continues to — pick up speed. ih

Ghulam Nabi Mir, MD, FACG, is founder and president of the World Kashmir Awareness Forum.