Prominent Maulvi and Hurriyat President of Kashmir Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Likely to preach Friday for the first time this week Center removed special provisions of Article 370 in August 2019, in a telephone conversation with Hindu The Mirwaiz talks about the time he spent inside his home and the way forward to find lasting peace in Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha says you are a ‘free man’ and… Never detained since August 2019, Are you a ‘free man’?
Yes, I am quite free to move inside my house, thankfully. If I was a ‘free man’ why was I not allowed to offer Friday prayers and preach at Jamia Masjid for the last three years? I have been forcibly imprisoned in my house since 4th August 2019. Police vehicles and force personnel are stationed near the gates on both sides of my house. After verification by the police at the gate, I am not allowed to go out and only close relatives and some office staff are allowed inside. It’s all there to see, nothing is hidden. Imprisoned in the house continuously for three years.
Why do you think the J&K LG made such a statement?
LG Sir knows better why he made such a statement. You should ask him. To be honest, when I first heard it, I was shocked. I could not believe that a person in the highest office would misrepresent facts in public. Not only were the facts distorted but they were also distorted to create a false impression. If the idea was to defame me, I don’t think it worked. Truth always wins.
Were you ever allowed to leave the premises in the last three years?
My grandmother who lived with us since my birth passed away in 2021. I prayed for his last rites on the lawn of my house, but was not allowed to go to the graveyard along with other family members by the authorities. My heart broke when his body was leaving the house and I stood alone in tears. A few months later, my uncle, my late father’s elder brother, passed away. I was taken to his house to offer funeral prayers under police settlement and then immediately brought back home without meeting my aunt or cousins, nor allowed me to go to the graveyard with others to bury them again Gone. That too was very painful.
How will you spend time in the confines of your home?
The last three years imprisonment Has been an experience. Initially when there was a complete shutdown, ban and internet blackout by the authorities in August of 2019, I was restless and very concerned for people and what they should feel and what they can do, what will happen to them. But slowly over time as the authorities’ plans began to unfold more and more, it became clear what they were aiming for. I understood that this was going to be a long battle, and so it was time to be safe and patient. I also realized that the people of Kashmir have developed resilience and tendency to over centuries of subjugation and decades of conflict that will drag them down and prevent the conspiracy against them from succeeding. It is time for patience, fortitude and building and strengthening of our character. During the COVID-19 pandemic much of my time was spent praying to Allah to seek His protection and help us through the grave crisis that affected all of humanity. It has also been a time for introspection. During the last years I have spent time reading.
As a ‘free man’, what have you decided to do now?
I missed the Central Jamia Masjid and the Friday sermons in the month of Ramzan. I look forward to doing so. Once released, I want to meet people and listen to them. I want to meet my colleagues and party people and listen and talk to them. My political stand is and will remain the same. Resolve the conflict among the stakeholders peacefully, stop the oppression of the people of J&K and give a chance for real peace in the subcontinent.