Pulwama: Centre attempts to pressurise separatists by withdrawing security cover

Centre withdraws security of 18 separatists, 155 others including Shah Faesal

Security personnel stand guard along a barbed wire during a strike called by separatist leaders, in Srinagar | PTI Security personnel stand guard along a barbed wire during a strike called by separatist leaders, in Srinagar | PTI

The decision to withdraw the security of separatists in Kashmir in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack is part the Centre's policy to harden its stand against these leaders. The security of Hurriyat Conference leaders and other protected persons was withdrawn and downgraded upon the orders of Home Minister Rajnath Singh after the Pulwama attack. The move has freed 100 vehicles and 1,000 security men for regular police work.

According to Jammu and Kashmir Home Department, the security cover of 18 separatist leaders and 155 others were withdrawn after the crackdown by Rajnath Singh. The separatist leaders whose security was withdrawn include Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Aga Syed Molvi, Maulvi Abbas Ansari, Yasin Malik, Saleem Geelani, Shahidul Islam, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Farooq Ahmed Kichloo, Masroor Abbas Ansari, Aga Syed Abul Hussain, Abdul Gani Shah and Mohd Musadiq Bhat. In addition, the security of 155 political persons and activists, who did not require security based on their threat assessment, was withdrawn, including Shah Faesal, former IAS topper who recently quit the job to join mainstream politics, and Waheed Parra, a youth leader from the PDP.

A spokesman of Kashmir home department said it was felt that providing security to the separatist leaders was a "wastage of the scarce state resources that could be better utilised elsewhere". The government's decision to withdraw the security is seen as a step to put pressure on the separatists. 

The separatist leaders have been at the forefront of criticising the Centre and accusing the security forces of repression in Kashmir. The separatists have called for regular bandhs to protest killings of civilians and militants in encounters with the security forces. 

The Hurriyat Conference leaders, however, seem unfazed by the government's decision to strip them of the security. “Hurriyat leaders had never asked for security, and it was the government that insisted on keeping the (police) personnel based on their threat perception,” said a Hurriyat Conference (Mirwaiz faction) spokesman.  “The government and its propagandist anti-Kashmir media had repeatedly been raking-up the issue of police personnel provided to resistance leadership to politicise, knowing well it has no bearing nor can it in any way change the reality of the lingering Kashmir dispute or the situation on the ground or our principled stand and outlook regarding its resolution."

The spokesman added the issue of Kashmir will remain the same “with or without these police personnel at Hurriyat residence”. He said whenever the security issue has taken a center-stage, Mirwaiz had repeatedly said from the pulpit of Jamia Masjid that the government could withdraw it. The spokesman said it (security) was the government’s decision that time and today “it’s again the government’s decision to remove it. It’s not an issue for us”.

Mirwaiz was provided security after a militant killed his father late Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq in May 1990. Similarly, security to the Lone brothers—Bilal Lone and Sajad Lone—was provided after their father Gani Lone was gunned down in May 2002.  

Security to separatist leaders was not just for their safety, but also to win them over, over a period of time.