“CC type politics was not fruitful”

Asiya Andrabi, head of Deukhtaran-e-Millat, talks to Rising Kashmir staffer Hakim Irfan about her impressions on post election scenario, leadership of resistance movement, and what went wrong with boycott campaign. http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9680&Itemid=37 Hakeem Irfan: Recently you made a remark about Syed Ali Geelani that he should lead pro-freedom movement as a spiritual leader. Can you elaborate on that? Asiya Andrabi: I mean that Geelani sahib should lead the nation like late Sheikh Ahmed Yaseen of Palestine, Imam Khomeini of Iran and other spiritual leaders of the resistance movements all over the Muslim world. The spiritual component of the movement is also necessary which is lacking here. Spiritual leaders have more hold on the nations rather than mere political leaders. Politics is a hectic job and health of Geelani Sahib may not allow him to do justice with the hectic schedule of political activity. For example, in October 2008 movement was at a crucial stage but Geelani sahib was getting his pace-maker changed at a hospital in New Delhi. How can we expect him to lead the Lal Chowk March those days. This is why I said that he cannot play the active role in politics now. HI: How can you describe the role of pro freedom leadership in the recent election boycott campaign? AA: Look, Sonia Gandhi went to Uri and Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies at the far flung areas here. But our Hurriyat could not reach out to the masses. It is our (pro freedom leadership’s) incompetence that the people voted in such huge numbers. Boycott was successful in Srinagar because of the fact that people are in continuous contact with the pro freedom leadership. People in far flung areas are still being neglected by us. I understand that the leadership was arrested and detained but now we have to look forward for the effective program to continue the movement. These so called mainstream politicians went to every nook and corner of the state and assured people of giving them the basic amenities. I still remember that people said that voting never corresponds to the support to Indian rule. These are two different things. A young boy from Ganderbal who voted was interviewed on BBC and he said, "If at this moment the procession for freedom will be organized I will be the first to lead it." People are with the cause and it was clear in the massive protests before the elections.  I feel that we were wrong in our later day understanding and ex ecution of things.    HI: You suggested few names as the new young and dynamic leadership to take responsibility of carrying forward this movement. Do you want any addition or deletion to the list? AA: I never meant that the names I suggested make the final choice for the new leadership. These names were just flashing in my mind. There are other people also, but the thing is that we have to identify them and organize them on a single platform. It is everybody's duty to suggest the capable person for this huge responsibility of representing the cause. HI: You said that Coordination Committee turned into a dustbin. Is Coordination Committee still relevant? Coordination Committee type politics was not fruitful, as for as I am concerned. Actually the unification should be based on ideology and principles. This sustains and remains functional even if every individual is arrested or detained. It is an irony that every individual became the member of CC and that is what I termed later as the dustbin. Every press release coming in the media read, "President of the party and CC member." It turned into a joke. CC had just nine members when it was formed. But later the situation was such that it felt that whoever we find here around is actually the member of CC. With the result it affected the role of CC itself. Every individual was trying to take CC as per his or her own scheme of things. Now I strongly feel that we have to introspect and see if CC type politics is still relevant. There can be problems within which we have to point out and rectify.   HI: What were the problems within? AA: For example, close relatives of the Hurriyat (M) members participated in the elections. At least the members should have been on a social boycott with those relatives. They did not have even that much of courage. I have examples were commoners boycotted the people who participated in the elections.  Whole Family of Agha Syed Hassan Budgami participated in the elections, Sajad Gani Lone's sister, Executive member of People's Conference Engineer S Rashid participated in elections. Verbal statements have no relevance, they should have openly appealed people to refrain from supporting their family members or relatives. It becomes a joke when one member of family calls for boycott and other asks for vote. Ask Abbas Sahib, what he was doing for election boycott. Prof. Sahib was resting in Pakistan, when Mirwaiz said that they will lead the boycott movement in different areas.   HI: Where did you see the things went wrong during the massive peaceful protests? AA: Calling off the strike was a blunder. I cautioned Gelani Sahib at that movement and informed him that people are ready to face the challenge but as he is soft at heart (Raqeeq ul Qalb) he didn't pay any heed to that and called off the strike. He was concerned about the day to day lives of people. I told him that we meet people and have a grasp of the pulse. The termination of the strike was a shock to the whole nation. Election Commissioner was visiting here at that moment and the pro freedom leadership cleared the environment for them. Every home had stored the necessary items and was prepared for a long term peaceful resistance. HI: Was the call for boycott from pro freedom leadership a wrong decision? AA: No, actually the boycott was necessary. We miscalculated that there will be a massive boycott. But this assessment of ours was wrong. Elections made it clear that the pro freedom leadership has to work at the grass roots level and educate people about the impact of voting and election vis-à-vis Kashmir problem. We have to correct their belief they still hold that casting a vote in any case is an obligation. HI: What should be the immediate homework for the pro freedom leadership? AA: Our pro freedom leaders should move to their own areas and address people there. Pro freedom leadership has to take care of their native places. People are influenced by the local leadership and they can better empathize with their local representatives. But Geelani sahib should be present in Srinagar and lead the movement from here. Besides, the pro freedom leadership will sit together in coming days and devise a strategy for the continuity of the movement. Ups and downs come and go, but we have to learn to overcome the pressures and move on. Also, we have the ideological relation with Pakistan and we have to understand the situation there as well. We need their continuous support. HI: Is there any idea of forming a government in exile, in Pakistan Administered Kashmir?   We don’t need a government in exile. We experimented with the idea in 1990 and ministries were also distributed, but that didn’t worked. Pro freedom leadership here is capable of leading the movement. But we need continuous support from Pakistan. I am more concerned about the integrity of Pakistan. We cannot afford the well being of Kashmir at the cost of Pakistan. We will solve the issue by being firmly grounded here. HI: How can pro freedom leadership regain the support of the masses now? AA: We are definitely in need of a socio economic model that can help people and address their day to day needs. We have to be multi dimensional in our approach. We need not politicize it. But the morally upright people should handle all this. Few years back I was in London addressing the female audience. After I completed the address, to my utter amazement, they offered their jewelry as a donation for Kashmir, but I refused saying I cannot take that. They said that they are sending a lot of money to Kashmir and I also came to know about the names receiving that money. But then nobody is accountable here for that. Besides we had a social organizations of Dukhtaran-e-Milat, but they all were closed by the authorities few years back. Even the sewing machines of our social work centers were sealed under POTA. Now we have to create the institutions which can be of some help to the population and they might not have to approach to any other person for such requirements. HI: Do you mean that Hilal-e-Ahmer should be revived? AA: Name doesn’t matters. It is the work that matters. The organizations formed on this pattern can have any name. It can be Hilale Ahmer as well.