Syed Ali Shah (SAS) Geelani the “Bub” of the gullible: Lalit K Kaul

                                 Syed Ali Shah (SAS) Geelani the “Bub” of the gullible

Lalit K Kaul

It is said that “Politics is the art of the possible” and SAS Geelani experimented with this unchallenged dictum unabashedly. He, sure, was not the first one to do so as there are many such cruel instances in the history of the world; some led by ideological framework, the others by religious doctrine and yet others by nationalism/racism. All ended up inflicting only miseries on the unsuspecting masses and dehumanizing societies, as, indeed, did SAS Geelani.

Art of the possible:  

At the tenth India Today Conclave held on March 19, 2011, the Saturday, SAS Geelani demanded “freedom from India’s forceful occupation”. In making that demand – which had been his political narrative- he thoroughly exploited widespread ignorance of the people insofar as history was concerned. His political endeavour would not have survived on the basis of the historical facts and so he chose to invent history and that’s what is called “art of the possible”. Indeed it is the politician’s job to distort history to meet with set political goals and SAS Geelani was no saint.

Tried making UN Resolutions and Shimla Agreement irrelevant:

It goes to the credit of his cunning and crooked mind that he succeeded in mobilizing masses in certain pockets in the Valley on an absurdly false political narrative and in this effort he was aided by the local governments of the day and, very intriguingly, by the successive central governments by providing him with personal security at the tax payer’s cost. It may be prudent to ask the so designated “mainstream” politicians of the erstwhile state of J&K as also the national leadership of India that why, indeed, was a person who had challenged the Indian sovereignty was provided with security? It may be easy to lay the blame squarely at the doorstep of SAS Geelani than that at the supremely powerful ones, for dehumanizing Kashmiri society in pursuit of a political aim that was as unachievable as it was incongruous; yet the questions must be asked even while no or vague answers may be obtained from the bosses. That the bosses would parry the question, it reminds the author of a couplet from Mirza Ghalib which goes as under:

कासिद के आते आते कुछ और ख़त लिख रखूँ , मै जानता हूँ वह क्या लिखेगें जवाब में !

کاصد کے آتے آتے کچھ اور خط لکھ رکھوں ، مہ جانتا ہوں وہ کیا لکھنگیں جواب میں

That SAS Geelani had succeeded in sending his message across to the unsuspecting masses, it was clear when a young Kashmiri Muslim boy during the course of a debate on Kashmir status with the author concluded by asserting “The UN Resolutions are compiled by Kafirs”! This happened sometime in the year 2015.

Led by Jinnah Doctrine to do Pak’s bidding on Kashmir:

“Kashmir is a Muslim majority geographical area and therefore cannot be a part of the Indian Union”. “The Kashmiri Pandits are not welcome in Kashmir”. Famous for such irrational statements, SAS Geelani fanatical allegiance to Pakistan, even while the Jinnah Doctrine had been trashed and dusted by his successors in the pious land for Muslims- Pakistan, remained till his last breath and the Pakistan’s leadership having understood his propensities appointed him as their man in Kashmir to do their bidding and in doing so instigate the gullible against the Indian State. This political misadventure did no harm to Pakistanis and SAS Geelani’s family, but traumatized the Kashmiri society and more importantly communalized it beyond repair to create a de facto Islamic/Muslim Kashmir; all the while being protected by the Indian State.

No surprise then that the Pak media is showering accolades on SAS Geelani and the PM of Pakistan has declared state mourning; yet it may have more to do with Pak’s internal requirements than a genuine regard for him. Yet, it is killing two birds with one stone

That Kashmir was never the Issue nobody countered SAS Geelani with:

The religious fanaticism of SAS Geelani combined with political chicanery of the “mainstream” politicians and the central leadership never allowed this fact to be spoken that Kashmir was never the bone of contention between India and Pakistan; if at all, it was the erstwhile state of J&K that had acceded legally to the Indian Union under the GOI Act 1935. For reasons historical and the then extant geo-political requirements of our colonizers that the then PM of India was led in to moving the United Nations for resolution of a hypothetical problem that was created on the basis of the irrational Jinnah Doctrine.

What was his commitment to the cause he espoused?

A leader is the one who sacrifices everything in his/her life to further the public cause dear to him/her and a politician is the one who arouses people’s emotions to reach his/her chosen political destination. That SAS Geelani belonged to the latter class and had no commitment to the cause espoused by him, it is evident from the following incident in his personal life:

In 2015, SAS Geelani applied for a fresh passport saying he wanted to visit his daughter in Saudi Arabia. His application was rejected as he had left the column of nationality blank. Two months later, he acknowledged his nationality as Indian and was granted a passport with a validity of nine months. If he was an Indian then why was he doing Pak’s bidding on Kashmir and if he wasn’t then why did he declare his nationality as Indian, these are the questions that need to be answered. That for SAS Geelani nationality was no issue exposes his non commitment to the cause for which he sacrificed many young and old people, traumatized families, rendered a whole community homeless and rootless. Had he been committed to the political agenda he ostensibly pursued he would have chosen to forego his Saudi Arabia trip, but he chose to do the otherwise.

His acceptance of his Indian nationality exposed the double game he played all through his life while he lived a comfortable and cosy life at the expense of ex-chequer.

 

Innumerable Geelanis in the country:    

 

SAS Geelani has passed in to Eternity, but there are many more wolves roaming in lamb’s clothing within and without Kashmir. Unless the GOI and “mainstream” are planning another eruption two to three decades hence; the GOI must ruthlessly crackdown on the anti national and anti social activists irrespective of their cast, religion, gender, race or colour. Unlike in the case of SAS Geelani, those charged under sedition should be brought to justice expeditiously without wasting tax payer’s money.