Khursheed Wani
The emergence of a “Third Front” on the political firmament of Kashmir, in run up to the Parliament and Assembly elections, is unlikely to ruffle the traditional stakeholders of mainstream politics here.
All the leaders of this Front are either spent forces or expendable entities struggling to delay the dusk of their political career.
The maiden show of this Front at the lawns of Srinagar’s Municipal Park on November 30 was not too impressive. For some of the leaders who have represented their constituencies uninterruptedly for nearly two decades, such a turnout at the rally was definitely not a show of strength.
Interestingly, the leaders christened their grouping as “People’s United Front” or Awami Mutahidda Mahaz. They stressed on the last two words of the new name to reminisce the bygone Muslim United Front (MUF) that shook the castles of National Conference (NC) way back in 1987.
Many believe that MUF could have emerged as the largest political group in elections held on March 23, 1987 but for the massive rigging and electoral malpractices carried out at that time. That election changed the course of history in Kashmir and those who were candidates or involved in canvassing then took up arms to challenge Indian rule in Kashmir.
The third front chose its name to reminisce the bygone Muslim United Front (MUF) that shook the castles of National Conference (NC) way back in 1987.
For example, Syed Salahuddin, who heads the United Jehad Council now, was at that time known by his real name Muhammad Yousuf Shah. He fought the assembly election as MUF candidate from Amira Kadal constituency. He was winning but the results were reversed in favour of the NC candidate.
Kashmir still possesses a huge chunk of electorate that showed allegiance to MUF in 1987. This segment got disillusioned in the electoral politics by the way their verdict was dishonoured and they eventually supported the subsequent developments including the emergence of armed insurgency and a sustained boycott of elections as and when they were held in Kashmir since 1989.
With the exception of NC and the Congress, most of the pro-India or mainstream political parties in Kashmir are struggling to woo this “disillusioned chunk” to take part in elections. It indicates that this portion of electorate has the potential to bring about a change. The birth of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998 from Congress’ womb was the first serious effort in this direction. Mufti Muhammad Sayeed who deserted the Congress, that he had nourished for most of his political career, set out to address this “disillusioned chunk”.
Mufti began talking about resolution of Kashmir issue and craftily tried to associate his party with the disgruntled lot of 1987. It is not know how he received the favour but practically his party applied for election symbol of qalam dawat (pen and inkpot) and got it. Interestingly, qalam dawat was the election symbol of MUF in 1987 elections when their green flags hovered over the entire valley. The PDP’s flag is also green and Mehbooba Mufti’s choicest abaya when she addresses public meetings remains mostly green.
The latest United Front is yet another effort to represent the disillusioned chunk of population but it lacks the cutting edge.
Setting Sun
Firstly, the engine of this Front is a Marxist, who is at the twilight of his political career. Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, the three time legislator from south Kashmir’s Kulgam constituency was not a political entity until 1996 when he befriended Dr Farooq Abdullah and won the mostly-boycotted election. Interestingly, his constituency was the hotbed of “disillusioned chunk” and one of the four seats won by MUF in 1987 was Kulgam.
Tarigami had smooth sailing because the influential man who had won the MUF seat, Abdur Razaq Mir had been killed by pro-government militia. He built his constituency by his sheer determination and sailed through 2002 elections on that basis.
But in 2008 elections, his position was precarious because the disillusioned lot had vowed to throw him out.He emerged winner by a wafer-thin margin. This time his chances are even bleaker.
Tarigami had smooth sailing because the influential man who had won the MUF seat, Abdur Razaq Mir, had been killed by pro-government militia. But in 2008 elections, his position was precarious. This time his chances are even bleaker.
Another leader of the Third Front is Hakim Muhammad Yasin, the Khansahib legislator who was not taken by Omar Abdullah in his cabinet unlike Mufti Sayeed who had made him Revenue Minister. Perhaps, reason for not bringing him into coalition fold was firstly that Omar didn’t require him in the number game and secondly his name had figured in the infamous sex scandal of 2006.
In the beginning of his tenure, Omar was riding high on morality though many of the accused in the sex abuse case were accommodated suitably in the government, albeit after their exoneration from courts outside J&K.
The other leaders of the United Front are likes of Abdur Rashid Qabli, Sheikh Abdur Rahman of Samajwadi Party, Abdur Rahman Takroo of CPI and one Sanjay Saraf of Lok Janshakti Party.
Qabli’s image is that of a known turncoat who was once a pro-Pakistan bakra (as followers of separatist Mirwaiz dynasty are called) and in the mid-1990s even joined the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). He has won parliament and assembly elections in distant past but lacks any appeal for present generation.
Unlikely To Make A Mark
Sheikh Rahman is articulate and consistent in his approach but he comes from Jammu where his own constituency has depleted.
Takroo was nominated to Upper House in 1996 when the government was hunting for persons ready to fight elections or nominations for various positions. His present status is that he does not have another person in his party who could deliver his press notes at the newspaper offices. He does the honours himself along-with his PSO.
Total number of votes Sanjay Saraf polled in all elections may not be sufficient for a candidate to win a single election.
Sanjay Saraf is a Kashmiri Pandit who has been showing up in Kashmir during elections since 2002. Total number of votes he polled in all elections may not be sufficient for a candidate to win a single election. His party boss Ram Vilas Paswan’s meetings with Syed Ali Geelani do not add anything to his profile.
With this composition of individuals, the Third Front is unlikely to make any mark in the forthcoming elections. The contest is going to be directly between the NC, the PDP and the Congress at most places.
Individuals like Sajjad Lone and Engineer Rasheed are, and would be, aberrations.
(The author is a senior journalist)
