Aakash Hassan

SRINAGAR

Prof Abdul Gani Bhat along with senior Kashmiri dignitaries launched a Book BEYOND ME at Muslim Conference party headquarter Wazir Bagh in Srinagar on Friday. (Photos: Bilal Bahadur/KL)
Prof Abdul Gani Bhat along with senior Kashmiri dignitaries launched a Book BEYOND ME at Muslim Conference party headquarter Wazir Bagh in Srinagar on Friday. (Photos: Bilal Bahadur/KL)

Hurriyat Conference (m) leader and chairperson of his Muslim Conference faction, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat on Friday released his autobiography Beyond Me. The erstwhile Persian professor termed the book as his ‘confessions’ at his party office in Wazir Bagh in Srinagar.

The launch was attended by large number of his party workers and people from different walks.

While speaking at the book launch event, Bhat said, “there are two sections of book—one corners about myself, and other about religion, politics and something I can’t say.”

“We are living in darkness and the first line to it was drawn in 1947 — when the dividing line was changed,” Bhat said referring to Kashmir conflict. “I will not name who changed the line but that was our first darkness.”

Bhat dedicated most of his speech to Kashmir conflict than any other subjects in his book. The book was launched by his former colleague and former principal Muzzafar Ahmad War and his other associates.  The book has been published by Gulshan Publications Srinagar.

Referring to Kashmir conflict as the “dispute of souls”, he said, it cannot be solved by “filling the pockets”.

“India entered Kashmir amid the roar of guns and noise of democracy,” Bhat said referring to the plebiscite promise of former Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru that was never implemented. “Nehru was great Prime Minister because he was Kashmiri and he fought against Kashmiris.”

Hailing Kashmiris for their “struggle against India”, Bhat said Kashmiris are sharper than most people in South-Asia “and India has to understand that handful of people are locking horns with the such giant country.”

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After 70 years, Bhat said, Kashmiris are yet to forget “when the collective soul of Kashmir was deeply wounded. India needs to understand”. Bhat was referring to the “accession of Kashmir with India”.

Urging India and Pakistan to solve Kashmir, he said, the two neighbours would have to address “our wounded soul” but both “feed our stomach”.

“Both countries are yet to reach secret chambers of our hearts,” he stressed.

Asserting that peace in South Asia is possible only in resolution of Kashmir, he said, “Kashmir is inescapably linked to the future of South-Asia.”

While commenting on Indo-Pak dialogue, Bhat said, Kashmiris shall guide India and Pakistan to the righteous end, and “both will have to add colour to the path we will show them”

The stalled talks need to be resumed and for this, the concerned people have to build pressure, he stressed, and this message of togetherness will flow from Kashmir.

“We will have to break walls and sit together joining hands,” he said. “All the heads of the parties including mainstream will have to come together and draft a resolution pressing on the leadership collectively of Pakistan and India, (so that) a dialogue process can be resumed.”

“For the throbbing hearts of Kashmir,” he said, “there lies solution.”

For successful dialogue, Bhat added, both countries need to evolve a “mechanism”, and involve a friendly country “that would play a role — so that, disputes are solved to the flutter of all hearts”.

While referring to sensitivity of Kashmir dispute, Bhat said, “Kashmir in itself is much bigger than South-Asia.”

Interestingly, Bhat—the ex-Hurriyat Conference chairperson—released his autobiography at a function where top Hurriyat leadership was missing.

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