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Dukhteran-e-Milat or Daughters of the Nation (DM) surfaced in 1986 as a social reform movement, when its chief Asiya Andrabi started a crusade for women's rights like seat reservation in public transport, dowry, eve-teasing and pornography. It raided newspaper stalls pulling down female pin-ups, making bonfire of girlie and glossy magazines, enforcing the stringent Islamic dress code and painting black cinema signboards depicting semi-nude actresses. A staunch antagonist of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, she believes there is no need of either a political platform or any other ideology (like independence or azadi) to creep into the Kashmir struggle. She terms the Hizb ul Mujahideen chief Abdul Majid Dar "an Indian agent" and issues decrees against the moderates in the APHC.
Asiya Andrabi spoke to Masood Hussain in an interview from a Srinagar hideout. Excerpts Srinagar, January 4
Q.: Why did the Hizb ul Mujahideen
(HM) ceasefire fail in July last?
A.: It was destined to fail. It
was announced without taking its chief Syed Salahuddin into confidence.
In fact, the Government of India (GoI) had taken (Abdul) Majid Dar into
confidence. Although the HM has been the frontline militant organisation
of Kashmir but it finally fell victim to Indian intrigues. Let me tell
you, Syed Salahuddin endorsed Dar's ceasefire just for the sake of maintaining
the unity and dignity of the organisation and this was the spirit behind
its (premature) withdrawal later. I can treat the HM at par with the Lashkar-e-Toiba
(LeT), the Al Badr (AB) or the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) for they have no
credibility crisis. I cannot comment on Syed Salahuddin, but for (Abdul)
Majid Dar, I tell you he stands sold out to Indian interests. "Misleading
mass opinion in Pakistan will help the APHC to pressurise the Mujahideen
and manage a response to the ceasefire from them" If you give
importance to these outfits dominated by foreigners, does that mean the
Kashmiri people have surrendered? Firstly, let me tell you that these outfits
have locals as well non-Kashmiris. Secondly, the Kashmiri masses
continue to offer their sacrifices, offer resistance to the extent
that they still offer their blood to the real Mujahideen. I have mentioned
these outfits just because they are at the forefront at the moment.
Q.: How do you view the peace initiative,
as the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders are almost ready to
cross the Wagah border?
A.: To me this is a futile exercise.
Basically it is the Indian government which is making desperate bids to
silence the guns. That is why there is emphasis on peace and not on the
Kashmir issue. That is why New Delhi has trapped them (APHC) and they are
ready to go to Pakistan with the Indian agenda of managing a positive response
(from militants) to the Indian ceasefire. People like Prof (Abdul) Gani
Bhat, (Mohammed) Yasin Malik, (Abdul) Gani Lone will go there and talk
to the people of Pakistan, tell them that in Kashmir the people are too
tired, they cannot take jihad (holy war) any more, so something is to be
done… Misleading mass opinion in Pakistan will help them to pressurise
the Mujahideen and manage a response to the ceasefire from them.
Q.: Do you think they have any agenda
of their own?
A.: If they have, let them come
forward and take people into confidence. In fact, people know it that the
APHC is no challenge to the GoI. It is the Mujahid and his gun that is
the challenge. So New Delhi wants to use them. I personally think that
since they do not have any agenda they should not go to Pakistan at all.
If they want to talk to the Mujahideen leaders, they can do it over the
telephone.
People say now politics must take over guns. There lies the difference in thinking. They treat gun a threat to peace and we treat politicians a threat to peace. So we believe in fighting till the ultimate peace is resorted and all issues are settled. Given the history of Kashmir, nobody will permit that there should be politicians alone - let the Mujahideen also have a role to play. And I firmly believe that these politicians (APHC) are encroachers. Anybody who can be a Mujahid can be a leader as well. Islam does not distinguish between the two.
Q.: Do you think the APHC leaders
will be able to silence the gun in Pakistan?
A.: No, that is not possible. I
believe the LeT, the AB and the JeM will come out with a joint statement
within a couple of days saying that they will continue jihad till the liberation
of Kashmir. But yes, at the same time, there are some apprehensions. The
other day one of the United Jehad Council (UJC) leaders in Pakistan occupied
Kashmir (PoK) was talking to me on phone saying they expect that the APHC
leaders will come over here and tell the people that Kashmiris have stopped
their support to the Mujahideen. Since they (people) are tired of violence,
they may help the other side and repeat the past (here Andrabi refers to
1965 when a section of Kashmiris allegedly helped police arrest the infiltrators
and bag the rewards announced by the state).
But how do you say the Hurriyat has an Indian agenda? Even Pakistan is ready to embrace them. Pakistan changed its policy on Kashmir by admitting there are three parties involved in Kashmir dispute. Yes. This is a fact. The Pakistani establishment is a part of this process besides New Delhi and Hurriyat. I think they all have made some compromise at some level. My reports are that they may be seriously considering the Kathwari proposals (a set of solutions forwarded by the US-based Kashmir Study Group). Pakistan may be having her own compulsions. But I tell you, there are forces and people in Pakistan who will resist any monkey-justice on Kashmir. To me and the people of Kashmir, the masses of Pakistan are the real assets. They can correct Pakistan policy.
Q.: What do you think the Kashmir
solution should be?
A.: We believe in the implementation
of the UN Resolution of January 5, 1949, that asks people to choose between
India and Pakistan. To us, Kashmir is a natural part of Pakistan under
the same principle that divided united India. Other thoughts like secularism,
independent Kashmir etc are infiltrations into the Kashmir struggle. It
is purely an Islamic struggle for upholding Islamic principles. "Thoughts
like secularism, independent Kashmir etc are infiltrations into the
Kashmir struggle. It is purely an Islamic struggle for upholding
Islamic principles" But even the APHC constitution permits a negotiated
settlement in case the parties choose against implementing the
UN resolution… The making of the Hurriyat was a big tragedy. We had
constituted the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat-e-Kashmir in 1990 whose constitution
limited the options to the implementation of the UN Resolutions. I was
in jail when the Hurriyat was floated. I did oppose its constitution saying
that the secular elements have managed their entry into it and that was
bad. This offered all those elements a platform who jumped into this movement
either to save their skin or simply to secure their interests. (Mirawaiz)
Umer Farooq was a kid playing in the streets when his father Mohammed Farooq,
a trusted Indian leader, was killed and that became his certificate to
join the Hurriyat. Take Gani Lone, he was an Indian all along, even today.
(Mohammed) Yasin Malik, once a good militant, I do not know in whose hands
he is playing now. For Prof Gani, I think, not even his family supports
him. Who are they? Whom do they represent?
There is only one person who can be trusted or whose role is so far positive. He is Syed Ali Shah Geelani. We are telling him to come out of this useless alliance so that he can become the leader of the masses. I keep telling him: come out of this nonsense, as you cannot prevail (upon others) as majority decision prevails in the alliance's democratic set up. But he is not ready for that and continues to be involved in dirty politics.
Q.: Even Geelani does not have the
support of his party, the Jamaat-e-Islami, and you think he can lead Kashmir?
A.: Believe me, Amir Jamaat is
the biggest secular leader, Kashmir has. Jamaat-e-Islami is a secular party.
They are apologetic now. They swear they are not with the gun and so the
Jamaat has no credibility among the masses.
Q.: How you view the present state
of militancy?
A.: It is mature militancy. The
last 11 years have helped it to get better quality-wise. Guerrillas are
coming after better training and planning; that is why New Delhi is panicky.
The situation has changed.
Q.: But for how long can one afford
violence, whatever the purpose?
A.: For Muslims jihad can be a
life-long process.
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