An open letter to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq “No man ought to be charged with principles he actually disowns, unless his practices contradict his profession; not upon small surmises”. (Jonathan Swift) Asalamualikum; I am a common Kashmiri (say Aam Aadmi not in terms of Arvind Kejriwal but as Kashmiris say it,“bechour Koshur”) born in nineties wherein the Kashmiri armed struggle was at its peak. And I assume that I have inherited some communicable mentality from that period as a gift which draws my attention to the future of other common Kashmiris. After giving a long thought to this decision, whether to write it or not, I was reminded of the stories of the old Kashmir’s who curse themselves now on everyday for believing blindly perhaps the tallest leader of Kashmir after (as claimed by most of people) Sheikh Mohd Abdullah, who made us now what is called “bechour Koshur”. I must mention that it took a lot of courage for this common Kashmiri to address a person of high political background, seen that recently some columnists were threatened by some groups belonging to the political ideology as their opposite.But as I mention in the beginning that it is perhaps the same blood of nineties which invoked me for such step or perhaps my belief that I am also a stakeholder atleast to raise questions , if not issues, about my leadership, who had sustained on the blood of this bechour koshur. Now coming on the main issue, i genuinely feel that as a common Kashmiri whose third generation has been made to suffer and has offered a huge bunch of sacrifices to be used only by our leaders(as it seems upto now), is forced to be in a mental frustrated stigma, from where, an escape seems to be an impossibility at least in near future. With utmost humbleness and respects to your stature, my request is that it should be not taken as an artwork of your antagonists, rather should be seen through the prism of genuineness and mediocrity, which may help the mopping persons like me not for political vengeance but for conferring the fact & inhibiting the erectile dysfunction nowadays common for Kashmiris in lieu with our leadership. Your recent press conference regarding the allegations made by SASG to some pro- freedom groups, which I personally believe was a direct reference to you, have made the oppressed nation especially youth which all of you claim to be the true representative of Kashmir in a state of divisive infatuation for SASG , which is pinching me,(seeing that all is not well).What should I call it ‘political Nepotism or ‘blind faith’ ? But I have the genuine reasons to feel so for the below mentioned reasons,which need clarification. 1. The tone of your words in the press conference was such a high that the one time ally and now your enemy Shabir Shah called it unwanted and objectionable.Being a chief cleric besides the Hurriyat leader it seams to me that some thing serious than chagrin has happened which made you to speak in such a raucous tone for first time ever since you have taken the responsibility of Hurriyat chief. Was it an accidental, emotional or well designed, the people like me are confused? For a short time you seemed to be a revanchist not a political and religious figure. 2. The usage of derogatory language against the Geelani sb, which I think is the most objectionableor unbearable for any pro freedom Kashmiri, makes one to think that the chief cleric of Kashmir wouldn’t have used this language for a simple reason. As every body noticed it, but the Irony in the part is that on one side you used the derogatory language against SASG and on the other side you maintained his dignity by calling him “Geelani Sb”, which got un noticed due to your high tone which is appreciable. But the question arises that is it justifiable for any person to make such usage that too for an aged leader who has championed the cause of kashmiris in every nook and corner by his every drop of blood?. Whether u agree or not , but I believe that most of Kashmiri population considers SASG as the protagonist of Kashmir cause and his words, as pious as their religious scriptures.so using such a language u have not only let your image down before the eyes of Kashmiris but hurt their sentiments by disrespecting their leader. 3. Then the facts you have tried to present by saying that “ whom does Geelani want to see now dead” raise serious vagueness in the mind of common Kashmiris.By your statement it seems that Geelani is the person behind the killings of the people in Kashmir.If this is the case why does it take you such a large amount of time to make it public. Doesn’t you think that you yourself have then fooled the Kashmiris for such a long time and have made them to believe as opposite? Who killed whom has remained a mystery upto now, but it needs a further clarification.If the people are following the killer, and you know the reality, you are answerable both to the people of land, and the Almighty hereafter. 4. In the same press conference u have tried to unveil another mystery by adding that “if we were going to relook at the past since nineties, that what these persons have done, then it will open a long book, and therein, will be the hands of people and the necks of these leaders” . Since every body has given sacrifices especially from nineties which you mentioned as a reference, every body is curious to know, what did actually you meant by such statement. It is a serious issue than the above three, because it seems that all of you are working in a chord to befool people, and what is going on behind the curtains is a mystery or you are using the same tactic, that you pull my leg and I will pull yours, which only adds the salts to the injuries of a common Kashmiri. 5. And then another irony, which I think again have gone un noticed that where u spoke the sentence which I have tried to put in the same essence as yours in the above comment, u mentioned the word “These leaders” in the end of this sentence. Whether it was accidental or heartly remark, but seeing the past I acknowledge that you didn’t consider youself as a leader upto now, which some people are very often hard to accept.Here I am not opening up the debate on this topic, as it would require an effort of Sanjay Baru of India to write a book labelled as “ Making of an Accidental Leader”. But any way it is appreciable, to make the public known to the fact that there is a difference between a leader and a growing leader or say chief cleric , intellect, or a family icon. 6. In the last you have said that the Hurriyat (M) is working for the solution of Kashmir, and whenever you approach anyone, you are labeled as traitor. Here I must say that since the time of my birth I am listening to such exaggerated claims made by your party, but have not got a single reason to believe in you and not call you a traitor. I must add that it was your party’s associate who called the UN resolutions outdated and u still give him a place on your left. He spoke against your own constitution but u put the ball in his court and didn’t uttered a single word and which led to the divide of your hurriyat, for that Shabir Shah and Nayeem khan besides parting ways with you slammed you in the public to which you again kept mum.People have given you a lot of chances, but to no avail. In fact the recent interview of JKLF chief Yasin Malik( who was then your partner) in which he said that you were the only person to know that what went in between you and Advani ( then home minister of India) in new Delhi. Whereas you mention that whatever you people do, you make it public, but it doesn’t seem so.Had it been the case, Shabir shah & Nayeem khan, who were the champions of the unity within Hurriyat factions, wouldn’t have made such a blittering decision that too at that important juncture. Mirwaiz sb something fishy is cooking, which u didn’t disclose to public either due lack of courage or personal reasons (benefits). Allah knows better!!! 7. In the above context that why are you being labelled as traitor, I as a common Kashmiri have many reasons besides those mentioned above.The prime important which I am sure you will called rubbish, is of WIKILEAKS, which if not is worth of full belief but partly no body can deny. The wikileaks in one of its report has disclosed that you were taking money from both Pakistan and India. At 2nd instant of time it said that you & your Hurriyat favoured hanging of shaheed Afzal Guru, but you were scared to claim it openly, seeing the mood in valley and threats of militants. Whether it is true or not, perhaps nobody will come to know, but certainly are the reasons for which people are confused and label you the traitor. 8. Secondly the statements of Shabir Shah and Nayeem khan are enough evidence for the common Kashmiri to label any one as a traitor.thirdly, your separate dialogues with Pakistani and indian government at different points of time didn’t make any change( leave yielding any thing aside). What change I felt only, is that your associates either distanced themselves from your faction or changed their stances and statements like weather in Kashmir. Now please tell us what should we do? Whom should I believe? Them or you. 9. Then the most difficult thing for a common Kashmiri is to believe any one among your faction.see for example, Bilal lone(another accidental leader), whose whole family is fighting elections and he preaches election boycott. Mukhtar Ansari, brother of Abbas Ansari is another example. Proffessor Gani, who changes colors everyday like Mustafa kamal is no exception.Now tell the people whom should they follow? 10. And The most childish thing that I noticed in your whole press conference was that you mentioned that the person who has fought the elections twelve times and taken oath under the constitution of india has no right to raise fingers on others…it is regarded as a layman’s statement in Kashmir, but as of you it seems that either you are unaware of the history or just wanted to create an another confusion. For your sake , I may add here that it was not only SASG who fought elections, but the whole bunch of so called pro – freedom camp under the single banner, and if I am not wrong then your late father was also in the fray not only at that time but later on He made an alliance with Janta party of India. You answers to that? For the sake of convenience If we accept your point of view, then it becomes mandatory for you to measure all the people with the same rod. And then you must gain courage to call the UJC chief Syed Salahudin and ask him to leave the struggle, which I am sure you will not. So please let us know who is the real stake holder and if you are right , then put a decree on all those persons who had fought elections. We are waiting for a clarification on your part. 11. Lastly, I think it is not mandatory for anybody who has lost his brother, father, mother or sister to claim that he has given his kith and kin for freedom, because as you yourself have pointed towards SASG behind these killings, which means that it is a scuffle in between. And adding to this there are persons which now want vote for that blood, which I am sure you must be knowing. So whom should we believe to be legitimate; one who fights elections or another one who sits with you and preaches election boycott. This list includes Ikhwanis (surrendered militants) who got killed, militants who killed each other due to scuffle in between them, and the civilians killed by militants. So this adds more sugar to the already created confusion. There is a lot to say, but knowing your busy schedule, I tried to cut it short. So my humble request to you and your associates is that please make the public aware about these grave issues, so that the plummet of ongoing movement is inhibited at its earliest & so can people decide what is right and wrong. Wasalaam Mannan Wani Note: this letter was written two years back, when this whole incident had taken place.