20 days short of his 80th birthday Kashmir’s veteran separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was released after 95 days in detention. The move came after state high court quashed the Public Safety Act (PSA) against him.
Born on September 29, 2009 at Sopore. Geelani has travelled a long way to become the top separatist leader of Kashmir.
The Lahore college graduate is revered and feared by most of his political adversaries in the unionist as well as the separatist camp. He was under detention for the last three months days at Cheshmashahi hut converted into a sub-jail for him. The government arrested after he stirred an agitation against Shopain rape and murders that brought government to a standstill. A day after his release Geelani was put under house arrest again as he made clear his intentions of taking up the government again.
Addressing the media after his release at his residence, the visibly frail Geelani hit the state again. This time Geelani talked of a host of issues including the land grab by troops and discrimination of Kashmiris in jobs. He accused India of applying Israeli strategy in Kashmir. Opposed handover of Shopian rape and murder case to CBI and called for interrogation of former DG CID A K Bhan. He also accused Delhi Public School of banning Islamic prayers in the campus.
Despite such curbs and detentions, Geelani seemed unfazed and reiterated his stand of fighting till the achievement of its desired goals, much to the delight of supporters present at his residence.
However Geelani refrained from giving any call for strike or any concrete agitation programme. Many in Kashmir expected his release to begin another cycle of confrontation and curfews but for the time being at least till Eid, the status quo remains.
