Azadi Triptych

Syed Ali Geelani

The face of the Kashmir movement, Geelani was a government school teacher until joining Jamat-e-Islami in 1959. He became an MLA in 1972 and again in 1987, the year the Jamaat-e-Islami and other social and religious organisations formed the Muslim United Front (MUF) to take on the NC-Congress alliance. Md Yousuf Shah, who later headed Hizbul Mujahideen and the United Jehad Council, had also contested the allegedly rigged 1987 polls. In 1989, Geelani resigned from the J&K Assembly and took a lead role in separatist politics. Known as a ‘hardliner’, Geelani firmly believes the Kashmir issue can be solved in accordance with UN resolutions. He favours dialogue, but sets the condition that India should first accept Kashmir’s disputed status.

Mirwaiz Umer Farooq

MIRWAIZ means head priest and Umer Farooq is the head preacher of Jamia Masjid, Srinagar. He also heads the Awami Action Committee (AAC), a constituent of the Hurriyat. He is considered a ‘moderate’ and favours resolution of the Kashmir issue through peaceful negotiations. He held three rounds of talks with the central government.

Yasin Malik

Malik was the pioneer of the militant movement in Kashmir. In 1994, Malik gave up arms, he says, following the intervention of the international community, especially the US, and has since followed non-violence as the only means of struggle. Though he believes in independent Kashmir, he doesn’t shy away from a negotiated settlement of the Kashmir issue. He accuses India of pushing the fourth generation of Kashmiris towards militancy.