After Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s death, an uneasy calm prevails in most parts of Kashmir. Reports suggest that Masarat Alam of Muslim League, a confidant of Geelani, could be appointed the chairman of Hurriyat that Geelani led before quitting politics last year.
The veteran separatist leader died on September 2 at the age of 92 at Hyderpora in Srinagar.
Soon after this death,the authorities had snapped mobile phones and the internet. The mobile phone services were restored after three days and internet was restored after four days in al districts except in Srinagar and Budgam.
Tension rose in Kashmir after Geelani’s family alleged that police snatched his body and buried him forcibly in the local graveyard. Naseem Geelani, Geelani’s younger son, an agricultural scientist, told THE WEEK that the last wish of his father was that he should be buried in the martyrs graveyard at Eidgah in downtown Srinagar.
“The IGP came and offered condolences and urged us to bury the body quickly,’’ he said. “We told him it would take some time and we would do after the fajr (dawn) prayers.”
Naseem said the police, however, stormed into their house and took away Geelani’s body and buried him in the local graveyard. He said only one of his cousins and his son could attend the funeral.
“The next day we went to the graveyard to search for the grave of our father,’’ he said.
The police also registered an FIR against Geelani’s family for draping his body with Pakistan’s flag.
“We don’t know who put the flag on the body,’’ Nassem said. “I asked the SP why they took the body away with the Pakistan flag and he told me they were not conscious about that then,’’ he said. “ I told him if he was not conscious about that how could we be.”
The police, however, refuted the allegations levelled by Geelani’s son about his burial and said they facilitated the bringing of Geelani’s body from his house to the graveyard as there were apprehensions that miscreants might take undue advantage of the situation. The relatives of Geelani had participated in performing the last rites, the police said in a statement.
The police also said that Geelani’s family initially cooperated with the police but later behaved differently under pressure from Pakistan.
Naseem, however, denied it. “This is a lie as the phones and the internet were shut,’’ he said.
There were some protests in Kashmir after Geelani’s death, but curbs imposed on movement and an internet blackout kept things in check.
Meanwhile, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday tweeted that she has been put under house arrest by the authorities.
“GOI expresses concern for the rights of Afghan people but willfully denies the same to Kashmiris. I've been placed under house arrest today because according to admin the situation is far from normal in Kashmir. This exposes their fake claims of normalcy,” Mehbooba tweeted.
The house arrest of the PDP leader came in the wake of her statement that people are hurt over reports about mistreatment of Geelani’s body. She said disagreements last only untill a person is alive.
“People are feeling hurt and this is against humanity,’’ she said. “I think the last wish of a person should be fulfilled, even those who are given death sentence are asked about their last wish,” she said.
Mehbooba said the family members should be allowed to perform the last rites as they wish. “But no such thing was allowed to do. Instead, I have heard that the family of Geelani has been mistreated, including women, and then an FIR has also been lodged against them.”
Geelani’s death has created a void in the separatist constituency that will be difficult to fill. His death will also help the Centre execute plans envisioned for Jammu and Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370.
