Avinash Azad
In a significant political signal from Kashmir’s separatist landscape, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday removed his association with the Hurriyat Conference from his social media profile on X, alleging sustained pressure from authorities who warned of his account being taken down.
Posting from his verified handle @MirwaizKashmir, the Mirwaiz said he had been repeatedly directed to delete the description identifying him as “Hurriyat Chairman,” as all constituents of the Hurriyat Conference—including the Awami Action Committee, which he heads—stand banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
“For some time now, I was being pressed by the authorities to make changes to my X handle as Hurriyat chairman… failing which they would take down my handle,” he wrote, describing Hurriyat as a banned organisation following the UAPA proscription of its constituents.
Explaining the decision, Mirwaiz underlined the shrinking democratic space and limited channels of communication available to him.
“At a time when public space and avenues of communication stand severely restricted, this platform remains among the very few means available to me to reach out to my people and the outside world. Under such circumstances, it is a Hobson’s choice I was left to make,” he said.
The move assumes significance against the backdrop of a steady erosion of the separatist ecosystem since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, after which several separatist figures have either distanced themselves from hardline positions or signalled openness to mainstream political engagement. Adding to the internal churning within separatist ranks, Dr G.M. Hubbi—once a close aide of late hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani—recently stated in an interview that Pakistan’s ISI influence and Geelani’s rigid religious framing left Kashmir increasingly vulnerable.
