SRINAGAR: In a show of strength, the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) held its first major rally since 1987 in the Bugam area of Kulgam district in South Kashmir. During the rally, its candidates promised to address issues concerning Kashmir, Kashmiris, and political prisoners if elected.
Thousands attended this unprecedented rally organised by the JeI in Bugam, the first since 1987. Despite being banned, the socio-religious organisation is contesting elections for the first time in over three decades, having previously stayed away from polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
This shift followed high voter turnout in the April-May Lok Sabha elections, where a record 58 per cent voting was reported.
In February this year, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) Jammu Kashmir under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967 for another five years. JeI was first declared an “unlawful association” on February 28, 2019, by the MHA.
“We are here to address the vacuum created by regional political parties. The large crowd here is our strength. Fingers will be pointed at us, and we will face criticism, but this is the reality,” said JeI candidate Sayar Ahmed Reshi said.
Another candidate, Aijaz Mir, said that if elected, he would serve the people of Kashmir without compromise. “We will not tolerate corruption. We will work transparently, talk about Kashmir and Kashmiris, and represent the people’s aspirations in the Assembly,” Mir said.
The Bugam area of Kulgam, known for boycotting elections, saw a surprising turnout for the JeI rally, raising eyebrows from Kashmir to Delhi. JeI candidates are contesting as independents, with the hope that, if elected, they can push for the lifting of the ban on JeI.
JeI’s panel head, Ghulam Qadir Wani, said that previously no one engaged with them. “Now, institutions have approached us, and people have spoken with us, which paved the way for us to join the poll fray,” he said, without revealing who had approached them.
