OPINION | Hurriyat Conference a mere shadow of itself; separatism is dead in Jammu and Kashmir

The untethering of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM) and Democratic Political Movement (JKPDM) from separatism and embracing the Constitution is not an opportunistic tactic. It is a statement that separatism in Jammu and Kashmir is dead, a tombstone even to the so-called representation it claimed to provide. The expansionist Hurriyat Conference, so influential in the politics of the Valley, is today a mere shadow of itself. There is no doubt that this change came during a specific period.

The separationist conflict, known as the crisis of Jammu and Kashmir, turned into a prominent identity feature of the region following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The strategies by which separatist groups had sought to strengthen their ascendancy for long, rested on the absence of clear geographical borders. However, today there is a deeper understanding of people in Kashmir that the Hurriyat and similar outfits offer nothing but a political deadlock, constant violence and economic deprivation. Therefore, the dissociation of JKPM and JKDPM from separatism goes beyond shifting political loyalties; it strikes at the very heart of the ideology of separatism. The Hurriyat and other similar outfits, which banked on emotive manipulation or foreign funding, failed to construct any narrative that promised development, infrastructure, or even a minimal political system.

The clearest manifestation of this disillusionment is now found among former followers such as Shahid Saleem and Shafi Reshi, who have openly renounced separatism. Such incidents are no longer exceptional; they are part of a broad pattern in which even the most diehard extremists now concede that coexistence with India’s democratic framework cannot be sustained through hostility.

After 2019, the influence of separatist groups has fallen remarkably fast. Violence in Kashmir has decreased by more than 50 per cent, economic indices show a positive trend, and most importantly, the people of Kashmir have actively participated in the democratic process set forth by the country. Even Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), which always appeared as a radical rightwing, has now accepted the participation in elections endorsing that democracy does way more than staying in a cyclic socio-political turmoil.

A bigger question that still lingers in the background is whether the government’s efforts and achievements will last beyond them. The policies aimed at dismantling sub-nationalism should not be dependent on who wins the election. No matter which political party comes into power, the Indian government’s position on separatism should be permanent, resolute and inflexible.

The changed stance of parties like JKPM, JKDPM, and JeI does not guarantee that they will not revive separatist agendas if a future government takes a softer stance. Any dilution of the current policies could allow them to resurface under a different banner, just as radical organizations have done globally.

 In the 1990s, weak political leadership enabled some separatist groups to flourish under the excuse of “political engagement.” The outcome? An entire insurgency, loss of innocent lives by the thousands, and decades of unending turmoil. The history of insurgency and terrorism in Punjab in the mid-1980s to 1990s is an example.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban was treated as a “spent force” in the early 2000s. This indifference allowed their resurgence which culminated into them taking over the country in 2021.

This tells something clearly – the stability in Kashmir did not come easy. It had cost the security forces and the lives of the youth of Kashmir.

With declining incidents of terrorism and violence, the region is also preparing for an economic makeover. Kashmiri Youth startup programmes and skill-enhancement initiatives have left violence behind, providing an alternative and opportunity to the youth.

Therefore, the abandonment of JKPM and JKDPM separatists is not an end, but, rather a new beginning. There is a need to continue to foster a culture of democracy in a way that there is no scope for extremist ideologies to surface again.

Mudasir Dar is a social and peace activist based in South Kashmir. He is a Rashtrapati Award recipient in world scouting and has contributed to various local and national publications on topics including national security, politics, governance, peace and conflict.