Bilal Gani Lone Quits Separatism, Urges Kashmiris To Embrace Indian Democracy
Bilal is the son of Abdul Gani Lone, a founding member of the Hurriyat Conference, who was killed by terrorists in 2002. His younger brother, Sajad Gani Lone, chairman of the People's Conference, is also a separatist-turned-mainstream politician and has previously served as a Cabinet Minister in Jammu and Kashmir with the support of the BJP.
This marks a significant departure from Bilal's long-standing association with the Hurriyat Conference, a separatist conglomerate formed in 1993.
Lone urged Kashmiri youth to accept India as a formidable power and integrate into its democratic framework, emphasising the importance of education, health, and employment over violence, which he believes has only led to 'devastation.'
Calling the Hurriyat Conference 'irrelevant' and 'non-functional,' Bilal said, 'Hurriyat is no more relevant or functional as of now; it is not present anywhere in Kashmir.' He acknowledged that while the Hurriyat once had public trust, it lost its relevance due to its inability to seize opportunities for the progress of Kashmir. He expressed regret, saying, 'The Hurriyat Conference had many opportunities, but we missed them. We could have achieved something for our people, but we couldn't. That's the reality—let's be honest about it.'
Lone also advised Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the leader of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, to consider joining active politics.
His comments about the Hurriyat's irrelevance and his call for Kashmiris to move on and integrate into India's democratic system can be seen as an implicit suggestion that others, including Mirwaiz, reconsider their political stance.
Bilal concluded by stating that the need of the hour is to initiate a process of reconciliation among the people of Jammu and Kashmir to rebuild trust, which he said has been the biggest casualty in recent years.
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