Jamaat-e-Islami-backed candidates’ plunge into election fray raises political fever in J&K

Srinagar, Sep 09: The banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), one of the oldest organisations in Jammu and Kashmir, has come a full circle with radical changes in its positions on various issues including elections.

From being active in the electoral politics of J&K till 1987 to the election boycott, the organisation is now indirectly contesting the Assembly elections. The plunge of independent candidates backed by Jamaat-e-Islami, which has been banned by the Centre for supporting militancy, into the elections has caused ripples in political circles in J&K.

Several former members of Jamaat-e-Islami and their kin are contesting the upcoming Assembly elections in Kashmir as independent candidates.  Many former Jamaat members have even filed nominations for the first phase of polls in south Kashmir’s Assembly constituencies.

During the recent Parliament elections, several former leaders of Jamaat voted and openly announced to participate in the electoral process if the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) lifted the ban on them. On September 8, many former senior leaders of Jamaat came openly into the public domain and organised a massive rally at Bogam village of Kulgam district in south Kashmir to garner support for an independent candidate.

PLUNGE INTO POLL FRAY

Dr Kalim-Ullah, son of Ghulam Qadir Lone, the former general secretary of Jamaat, recently announced his decision to fight polls as an independent candidate for the Langate assembly seat in the upcoming elections. Dr Kalim has a PhD in Computer Science Engineering. He is the son of veteran Jamaat leader Ghulam Qadir Lone who has also served as general secretary of the organisation.

Dr Kalim is contesting on Langate seat, the stronghold of Er Rashid where his brother Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh is AIP’s candidate. "I am confident of winning the Langate seat as Jamaat is backing me. It has a strong vote bank in the constituency," Dr Kalim told Greater Kashmir. "In the 1987 elections, my father secured over 10,000 votes. I am banking on his legacy and support he enjoyed by his work for peoples’ welfare,” he said.

Dr Kalim's father Ghulam Qadir Lone contested Assembly elections in 1987 as the joint candidate of the Muslim United Front (MUF). Lone even cast his vote in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

“Participating in elections is nothing new for Jamaat" 77-year-old Lone told Greater Kashmir

“We have always been working within the ambit of the Indian Constitution and never violated the law. We have been contesting elections including assembly elections besides the Parliament election in 1971. It was shocking for us when our organisation was banned for unfounded reasons,” he said.

Lone said Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and members have been bearing the brunt in different regimes and situations.

“Presently one of the major objectives of participating in elections is to restore the sanctity of Jamaat,” Lone said.

“Jamaat has rendered unflinching sacrifices. I vividly remember the horrible situation which emerged after the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on 4 April 1979.  "People blamed Jamaat and around 500 houses of Jamaat leaders and members were burnt in Kashmir. There was a public outcry against us and we had to bear the brunt in the 1982 Assembly polls.”

He said the “rigging” of the 1987 elections disappointed the Jamaat cadre. “Jamaat decided that we will boycott all elections till the Government of India guarantees us of holding free and fair elections. Then militancy started as some youth took arms to raise their voice against discrimination and the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Most of the Jamaat leadership was under arrest. How could we be blamed for the situation in the 1990s?” Lone asked.

Lone said in 1998, the then Jamaat Ameer Ghulam Muhammad Bhat stated in a press conference that “Jamaat has nothing to do with militancy.” “This created a rift between Jamaat and Geelani sahib. We carried on our social and religious works till 2019. Still, we were hunted and hounded. 283 raids were conducted and nothing adverse was found against Jamaat members,” he said.

Lone minced no words to accept that Jamaat in the recent past came in contact with Government functionaries. “They assured us that there will be free and fair elections. Our cadre was buoyed that free and fair elections were held after Er Rashid, who is lodged in Tihar jail, won the Baramulla parliamentary seat.”

“We want that ban on Jamaat must be lifted so that we can carry on with its mission. We want to include intellectuals in our organisation and work for the welfare of people,” he said.

As the ban on Jamaat has not been ratified yet, Lone said they have applied for registration of a new party— Jammu Kashmir Justice and Development Front. “Jamaat believes in the power of the ballot, not guns, bullets or bloodshed,” Lone stressed.

"Even Jamaat had decided to participate in the 1991 Parliamentary elections but Geelani sab decided to boycott it. Our leaders wanted to reach forums like the assembly and parliament to raise issues confronting people. We always believe in the democratic process," he said.

Lone maintains that “Jamaat is not associated with any political party.” “We want our candidates to work for the welfare of people.”

Most of the candidates fielded by Jamaat are banking on addressing unemployment, resolving civic issues and tackling the drug menace in the polls.

Lone has launched a vigorous election campaign to seek votes for his kin. "I am receiving positive responses from people."

A former Jamaat leader, Talat Majeed, filed his nomination papers from the Pulwama constituency. Fighting as an independent candidate, Majeed minced no words in saying that “after careful consideration given a changed political situation, the time had come to participate in electoral politics.” “Both Jamaat and Hurriyat had a role to play in the current political climate,” he said.

“We will change the future of Kulgam and create such an atmosphere where everyone can live peacefully” said Sayar Ahmad Reshi, another former Jamaat leader. “People must listen to their conscience when deciding whom to vote,” he stated.

JAMAAT-E-ISLAMIA GENESIS

Since 1942, Jamaat-e-Islami (J&K) has been at the forefront of religious, social and educational activities in J&K. The organisation participated in Assembly elections from 1965 and achieved massive success in 1972 polls securing five seats including Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Political observers claim that Jamaat was promoted to contest the Assembly elections in 1977 to prevent the entry of the Plebiscite Front, the brainchild of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in electoral politics. However, Jamaat miscalculated the situation and received a beating in the 1977 elections winning just a single seat. In 1983 polls, it was whitewashed in the 1983 elections.

The last election fought by the organisation was in 1987 as part of the Muslim United Front (MUF).

However, after militancy started in Jammu and Kashmir, the organisation demanded a resolution of the Kashmir issue by implementation of the United Nations resolution. Since the 1990s, Jamaat called for a boycott of elections and was also accused of supporting militancy. Jamaat was also a member of the executive committee of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) which spearheaded the movement for the resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the aspirations of Kashmiris.

THE BANNED ORGANISATION 

Jamaat-e-Islami was banned by the Centre on February 28, 2019, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The ban was imposed in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack in which around 40 CRPF personnel were killed. A massive crackdown was launched against the organisation with Valley-wide arrests of its members besides its head Abdul Hameed Fayaz.

On February 27 this year, the Centre extended the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami for five more years under the UAPA.

Commenting on the ban, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated: “Pursuing Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji’s policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and separatism the government has extended the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir for five years. The organisation is found continuing its activities against the security, integrity and sovereignty of the nation.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also issued a statement saying “Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir is continuing to be involved in fomenting terrorism and anti-India propaganda for fuelling secessionism in Jammu and Kashmir, which is prejudicial to the sovereignty, security and integrity of India”.

“Many criminal cases have been registered against the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir and its members under various sections of law including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967,” it said.

On August 23, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal upheld the orders passed by the Ministry of Home Affairs declaring Jama’at-e-Islami Jammu & Kashmir as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

POLITICAL FEVER

The participation of Jamaat-e-Islami in the elections has been receiving mixed reactions. It even brought former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti at loggerheads.

Omar, who is vice president of the National Conference termed the change in stance by former members of Jamaat-e-Islami  by contesting the assembly polls as a “significant development.”

“They have moved from considering elections as haram to now seeing them as halal,” Omar fired the salvo.

“We were previously told that elections were haram. Now, they are considered Halal, and there is talk of everyone participating in them. The shift in their political thinking is not bad. We even hoped that the ban imposed on their organisation would be revoked so they could contest elections on its symbol, but unfortunately, it did not happen,” he said.

“For 35 years, Jamaat-e-Islami followed a particular political ideology, which has changed now. It is good,” Omar stated.

Reacting to Omar, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti termed his remarks “regrettable.” “It has been a call of the National Conference that elections become halal when it gets power and haram when it loses power,” Mehbooba hit back.

Mehbooba urged the government to lift the ban on the Jamaat and enable it to contest elections. “Democracy is a battle of ideas…If the Jamaat-e-Islami wants to contest elections, it is a good thing…. The government should lift the ban on it.

“Who made the participation of the Jamaat-e-Islami or other parties, including the Muslim United Front, in the elections ‘haram’?” Mehbooba questioned.

POLITICAL OBSERVERS SPEAK

Former head of the Department of Political Science of Kashmir University Gul Muhammad Wani said that politics in any region or area operates in a given context. “Political parties are rational actors and use power to change public perception about issues and events. Jamat-i-Islami was part of mainstream electoral politics in the 1970s and was quite formidable with an educated middle class as its social base,” Gul said.

“After 1990 two mainstream political entities People's Conference led by Abdul Gani Lone and Jammat joined Hurriyat. The Peoples Conference has already married electoral politics and  Jamat has followed. Additionally, the secular and communal binary in J&K politics has become irrelevant due to the rise of Hindu nationalism in Indian politics,” Gul added.

Veteran Journalist and political analyst Prem Shankar Jha said Jamaat has every right to contest elections. “Though they won’t be able to secure many votes. It is because the educated class don't want Jamaat to be politicised. It is believed that Jamaat members have been fielded to cut vote share but their participation won’t make minimal impact,” Jha added.

Rekha Chowdhary former professor of Political Science at the University of Jammu in one of her recent write-ups said, "Jamaat has an intricate history in the politics of Kashmir. Being a socio-religious organisation having a network of educational institutions in Kashmir, it has participated in electoral politics while it has also been an organisation that has had a close association with separatist politics and militancy.”

“Jamaat’s decision to participate in electoral politics is a reflection of radical change in its political position. From being active in separatist politics and shunning democratic politics, it is a great leap towards mainstream electoral politics.”

“Will the entry of Jamaat candidates make some difference in the electoral outcome? It is difficult to say at the moment, but one can clearly state that Jamaat has its cadre and its support base. Its presence may impact the National Conference space to some extent. But, the constituencies that the Jamaat candidates are contesting are in South Kashmir, which is PDP’s stronghold and, therefore, will certainly impact PDP as well. How much, though it is difficult to say, at the moment,” she states.