Geelani to be new Hurriyat chairman

SRINAGAR: As was expected hard line separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was unanimously elected chairman of breakaway group of Hurriyat Conference on Monday. Masarat Alam will be the new general secretary of the conglomerate of the 13 separatist parties, which expressed no confidence against Molvi Abbas Ansari as chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference a fortnight ago.
Geelani developed differences with Ansari''s Hurriyat for not taking action against People''s Conference of Sajjad Lone for, what he called participating in the Assembly polls held in October last year.
The rebel group of about 13 separatist parties besides United Jehad Council and Hizbul Mujahideen supported Geelani in replacing Moulvi Abbas Ansari as chairman of Hurriyat Conference. All the 13 parties, which supported Geelani were -- Muslim Conference of Sumji, People Conference of Hubbi, Jammat-e-Islamia, Anjuman-e-Shar-e-Shiyan of Aga Syed Hassan, National Front of Nayeem Khan, Muslim Khawateen-e-Markaz of Yasmeena Raja, Kashmir mass movement of Farida Behanji, People''s League of Rehmani, Muslim League of Masarat Aalam, Democratic Political Movement of Firdous Ahmad Shah, People''s League of G Q Hagroo, Jammu freedom movement of G A Mir and Jammu freedom movement of Tantray.
Earlier in the day, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Bilal Gani Lone of People''s Conference were put under house arrest by the district authorities.
Official sources said both the leaders were put under house arrest to avoid clashes between their supporters at the meetings at their respective residences.
Geelani and Lone have been at loggerheads, with the former Hurriyat Chairman accusing the Peoples Conference chief of fielding proxy candidates in last year''s Assembly polls.
Geelani told Times News Network that a group of security personnel surrounded his Hyderpora residence early on Monday morning and did not allow him to leave the house.
Calling his house arrest ''illegal and undemocratic'', Geelani said there as no proposal to hold any public meeting.
According to Abdul Ghani Bhat, former Hurriyat chairman the rebel group led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani was responsible for the horizontal split in the Hurriyat.
"Whoever, has done it will go down in the annals of history as a traitor. They are now performing the last rites by holding meetings and talking to the media," Bhat said.
The former chairman of the 25-party amalgam was quick to add that the breakaway group would not affect the credibility or the strength of the Hurriyat Conference.
"Let there be no miscalculation that in accordance with the provisions of the (Hurriyat) constitution, Hurriyat comprises the executive council, which is intact. Therefore, Hurriyat has not gone to the wind," Bhat said.
The two factions of Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari were both claiming to be the genuine Hurriyat. Though the Ansari faction did announce some moves aimed at reconciliation between the two sides, the Geelani faction had ruled out any such possibility.
Former chairman of Hurriyat conference and chief clergy man of Kashmir Moulvi Umar Farooq in a bid to reconcile between the two rival groups received a jolt on Saturday when Geelani demanded the ouster of People''s Conference from Hurriyat Conference. Mirwaiz, according to sources, refused to remove People''s Conference from Hurriyat.
Terming the split in Hurriyat as cleansing process, Geelani said that the people who were against Hurriyat objective were rejected.