Latest news with #Hurriyat
India.com
4 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Bilal Gani Lone Quits Separatism, Urges Kashmiris To Embrace Indian Democracy
Bilal Gani Lone, chairman of the People's Independent Movement, formerly part of the separatist amalgam Hurriyat Conference, has announced his transition to mainstream politics. He made this statement in an interview with a news agency. Bilal is the son of Abdul Gani Lone, a founding member of the Hurriyat Conference, who was killed by terrorists in 2002. His younger brother, Sajad Gani Lone, chairman of the People's Conference, is also a separatist-turned-mainstream politician and has previously served as a Cabinet Minister in Jammu and Kashmir with the support of the BJP. This marks a significant departure from Bilal's long-standing association with the Hurriyat Conference, a separatist conglomerate formed in 1993. Lone urged Kashmiri youth to accept India as a formidable power and integrate into its democratic framework, emphasising the importance of education, health, and employment over violence, which he believes has only led to 'devastation.' Calling the Hurriyat Conference 'irrelevant' and 'non-functional,' Bilal said, 'Hurriyat is no more relevant or functional as of now; it is not present anywhere in Kashmir.' He acknowledged that while the Hurriyat once had public trust, it lost its relevance due to its inability to seize opportunities for the progress of Kashmir. He expressed regret, saying, 'The Hurriyat Conference had many opportunities, but we missed them. We could have achieved something for our people, but we couldn't. That's the reality—let's be honest about it.' Lone also advised Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the leader of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, to consider joining active politics. His comments about the Hurriyat's irrelevance and his call for Kashmiris to move on and integrate into India's democratic system can be seen as an implicit suggestion that others, including Mirwaiz, reconsider their political stance. Bilal concluded by stating that the need of the hour is to initiate a process of reconciliation among the people of Jammu and Kashmir to rebuild trust, which he said has been the biggest casualty in recent years.
The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Hurriyat ‘irrelevant', Kashmiris must move on, find place for themselves within India: Bilal Lone
The next generation is the primary motivation for Lone's shift to mainstream politics, as he urged the younger generation to accept the reality that India is 'too big a power' to fight and advised them not to see the country through the lens of political parties but to 'see India as India' to find a space for themselves within the country. He said the present generation has to be told the truth about the last 35 years as they have 'no other option' but to enter this new political sphere because 'the politics of exploitation has to stop'. The comments of Lone mark a significant departure from traditional separatist rhetoric, acknowledging that both the Hurriyat and Pakistan had 'faltered' on opportunities to bring progress to the region. Srinagar, Jul 19 (PTI) Former separatist leader Bilal Gani Lone has held the Hurriyat Conference responsible for its own irrelevance, calling the separatist conglomerate 'non-functional', while also slamming Pakistan for creating a 'mess' and 'fissures' in Jammu and Kashmir. Talking exclusively to PTI Videos, Lone asserted that the Hurriyat Conference, a separatist conglomerate formed in 1993, has lost its relevance in the Valley. 'Hurriyat is no more relevant as on date. Hurriyat functional bhi nahi hai (Hurriyat is not even functional),' he said, adding, 'let's be honest about it… when you talk about Hurriyat as on date, it's not present anywhere in Kashmir.' While acknowledging that people had reposed their trust in the Hurriyat in the past, Lone said the current reality was different. 'Hurriyat conference has lost relevance because we could not act,' he said, adding, 'so the concept of Hurriyat may have been good at that time… but when we visualise Hurriyat today, it is non-functional and somewhere, Hurriyat has faltered, no doubt about that.' Lone was equally critical of Pakistan's role and said, 'We have heard many statements but nothing has come out (of it)', and added that 'Pakistan should help Kashmir in soothing things here, rather than creating fissures out here'. He dismissed the idea that Pakistan would ever 'get' Kashmir through force, calling it a 'very silly suggestion'. To illustrate his point, Lone cited a recent escalation of tensions along the border that saw a 48-hour war-like situation. 'Not even an inch moved at the border,' he said. Lone said that Kashmiris must now move on. 'We need to come out of this mess, whether it is with or without Pakistan, we have to come out of this,' he stated. He expressed a deep sense of regret over the separatist movement's failures, saying, 'The Hurriyat Conference had got a lot of opportunities, we faltered somewhere. And we could have got something for our people, but we couldn't. That's the reality, let's be honest about it.' In a candid admission of past failures, Lone said his shift towards mainstream politics is born not out of political expediency, but a personal conviction to pursue a 'genuine political process'. Reflecting on his journey, Lone said, 'I have no regrets being on the other side of the fence, but the only regret, which is a very big one, is that we could not do anything. Much could have been done, but we could not', and summarised his change of heart with a Hindi adage: 'dair aaye durust aaye (better late than never).' Addressing his move from separatist to mainstream politics, Lone said he is not in the race for any position like a chief minister or MLA, but is instead motivated by a desire to pay back his people. 'I think I need to pay it back. So for me, it is a payback time,' he said. He said his new political narrative for the people would go beyond basic amenities like roads, power, and water, to instead focus on the future of the new generation. 'We have to talk about their future which includes their education, health facilities, and prospects of setting up business,' he said. He underscored that the primary motivation for his new political journey is the next generation, which he said has been the biggest casualty of the conflict. 'Violence has given us nothing. Violence ne yahan par barbaadi hi laayi hai (violence has only brought destruction here),' he said, adding that it has 'finished generations'. Lone observed that a Kashmiri is 'nowhere' today and 'at the receiving end', a situation he attributes to years of violence. He made an appeal to the people, urging them to look at India not through the lens of political parties like the BJP or Congress, but to 'see India as India and try to find a space for themselves'. He warned that those who have tried to defeat India have 'failed miserably,' and the people must now accept that reality. In a direct assessment of the post-Article 370 situation, Lone said that while the provision may have been politically hollow, it was a 'psychological victory' for Kashmiris. He said that while the BJP government may have won a 'military war' by abrogating Article 370, it has 'lost Kashmiris' by making the people feel 'subdued' and 'suppressed'. Lone, however, was quick to state that he is 'too small a man' to advise Prime Minister Narendra Modi but urged the central government to 'embrace' Kashmiris and not view the region through the 'prism of a vote bank'. He said the government should 'come and feel Kashmir with their hands' and 'give a soothing effect' to the people, adding that they should also listen to voices beyond political parties. On the security front, Lone said the situation is 'first class' but is maintained by 'the force of the stick', and stressed that the biggest casualty in Kashmir is 'trust' . He said that a process of reconciliation must begin, not between countries, but between their own people. He said a new chapter of 'sincerity' must be started with the new generation, which is unaware of the past. PTI SKL RT This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Hurriyat 'irrelevant', Kashmiris must move on, find place for themselves within India: Bilal Lone
While acknowledging that people had reposed their trust in the Hurriyat in the past, Lone said the current reality was different. "Hurriyat conference has lost relevance because we could not act," he said, adding, "so the concept of Hurriyat may have been good at that when we visualise Hurriyat today, it is non-functional and somewhere, Hurriyat has faltered, no doubt about that." Lone was equally critical of Pakistan's role and said, "We have heard many statements but nothing has come out (of it)," and added that "Pakistan should help Kashmir in soothing things here, rather than creating fissures out here." He dismissed the idea that Pakistan would ever "get" Kashmir through force, calling it a "very silly suggestion." To illustrate his point, Lone cited a recent escalation of tensions along the border that saw a 48-hour war-like situation. "Not even an inch moved at the border," he said. Lone said that Kashmiris must now move on. "We need to come out of this mess, whether it is with or without Pakistan, we have to come out of this," he stated. He expressed a deep sense of regret over the separatist movement's failures, saying, "The Hurriyat Conference had got a lot of opportunities, we faltered somewhere. And we could have got something for our people, but we couldn't. That's the reality, let's be honest about it." In a candid admission of past failures, Lone said his shift towards mainstream politics is born not out of political expediency, but a personal conviction to pursue a "genuine political process." Reflecting on his journey, Lone said, "I have no regrets being on the other side of the fence, but the only regret, which is a very big one, is that we could not do anything. Much could have been done, but we could not", and summarised his change of heart with a Hindi adage: "dair aaye durust aaye (better late than never)." Addressing his move from separatist to mainstream politics, Lone said he is not in the race for any position like a chief minister or MLA, but is instead motivated by a desire to pay back his people. "I think I need to pay it back. So for me, it is a payback time," he said.
News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
'See India As India': Former Kashmiri Separatist Leader Calls Hurriyat Irrelavant
Last Updated: Bilal Gani Lone called the Hurriyat Conference irrelevant and blamed Pakistan for creating chaos in Jammu and Kashmir. He urged the youth to accept India's power. Former separatist leader Bilal Gani Lone called the Hurriyat Conference 'non functional' and 'irrelavant' in Jammu and Kashmir. He urged the youth to accept India's reality and not see the country through the perspective of political parties as the country is 'too big a power' to fight. Lone further blamed Pakistan for creating chaos in Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking to PTI Videos, Lone emphasised that the Hurriyat Conference, a separatist conglomerate formed in 1993, has lost its relevance in the Valley. 'Hurriyat is no more relevant as on date. Hurriyat functional bhi nahi hai (Hurriyat is not even functional)," he said, adding, 'let's be honest about it… when you talk about Hurriyat as on date, it's not present anywhere in Kashmir," he said. Lone further dismissed the idea that Pakistan would ever obtain control over Kashmir through power. He called it a 'very silly suggestion". 'Kashmiris Must Move On' Lone said that the Kashmiris must move on and get out of the chaos. He also expressed regret over failures of the separatist movement. 'The Hurriyat Conference had got a lot of opportunities, we faltered somewhere. And we could have got something for our people, but we couldn't. That's the reality, let's be honest about it," he told PTI Videos. Lone also addressed his move of joining politics and said that this new path will focus on development of Kashmir. 'I have no regrets being on the other side of the fence, but the only regret, which is a very big one, is that we could not do anything. Much could have been done, but we could not", and summarised his change of heart with a Hindi adage: 'dair aaye durust aaye (better late than never)." 'We have to talk about their future which includes their education, health facilities, and prospects of setting up business," he added. view comments First Published: July 19, 2025, 18:36 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Hurriyat 'irrelevant', Kashmiris must move on, find place for themselves within India: Bilal Lone
Former separatist leader Bilal Gani Lone has held the Hurriyat Conference responsible for its own irrelevance, calling the separatist conglomerate "non-functional", while also slamming Pakistan for creating a "mess" and "fissures" in Jammu and Kashmir. The comments of Mr. Lone mark a significant departure from traditional separatist rhetoric, acknowledging that both the Hurriyat and Pakistan had "faltered" on opportunities to bring progress to the region. The next generation is the primary motivation for Lone's shift to mainstream politics, as he urged the younger generation to accept the reality that India is "too big a power" to fight and advised them not to see the country through the lens of political parties but to "see India as India" to find a space for themselves within the country. He said the present generation has to be told the truth about the last 35 years as they have "no other option" but to enter this new political sphere because "the politics of exploitation has to stop". Talking exclusively to PTI Videos, Mr. Lone asserted that the Hurriyat Conference, a separatist conglomerate formed in 1993, has lost its relevance in the Valley. "Hurriyat is no more relevant as on date. Hurriyat functional bhi nahi hai (Hurriyat is not even functional)," he said, adding, "let's be honest about it... when you talk about Hurriyat as on date, it's not present anywhere in Kashmir." While acknowledging that people had reposed their trust in the Hurriyat in the past, Mr. Lone said the current reality was different. "Hurriyat conference has lost relevance because we could not act," he said, adding, "so the concept of Hurriyat may have been good at that time... but when we visualise Hurriyat today, it is non-functional and somewhere, Hurriyat has faltered, no doubt about that." Mr. Lone was equally critical of Pakistan's role and said, "We have heard many statements but nothing has come out (of it)", and added that "Pakistan should help Kashmir in soothing things here, rather than creating fissures out here". Mr. Lone said that Kashmiris must now move on. "We need to come out of this mess, whether it is with or without Pakistan, we have to come out of this," he stated. He expressed a deep sense of regret over the separatist movement's failures, saying, "The Hurriyat Conference had got a lot of opportunities, we faltered somewhere. And we could have got something for our people, but we couldn't. That's the reality, let's be honest about it." In a candid admission of past failures, Mr. Lone said his shift towards mainstream politics is born not out of political expediency, but a personal conviction to pursue a "genuine political process". Reflecting on his journey, Mr. Lone said, "I have no regrets being on the other side of the fence, but the only regret, which is a very big one, is that we could not do anything. Much could have been done, but we could not" and summarised his change of heart with a Hindi adage: "dair aaye durust aaye (better late than never)." Addressing his move from separatist to mainstream politics, Mr. Lone said he is not in the race for any position like a Chief Minister or MLA, but is instead motivated by a desire to pay back his people. "I think I need to pay it back. So for me, it is a payback time," he said. He said his new political narrative for the people would go beyond basic amenities like roads, power, and water, to instead focus on the future of the new generation. "We have to talk about their future which includes their education, health facilities, and prospects of setting up business," he said. Mr. Lone observed that a Kashmiri is "nowhere" today and "at the receiving end", a situation he attributes to years of violence. He made an appeal to the people, urging them to look at India not through the lens of political parties like the BJP or Congress, but to "see India as India and try to find a space for themselves". He warned that those who have tried to defeat India have "failed miserably," and the people must now accept that reality. In a direct assessment of the post-Article 370 situation, Mr. Lone said that while the provision may have been politically hollow, it was a "psychological victory" for Kashmiris. He said that while the BJP government may have won a "military war" by abrogating Article 370, it has "lost Kashmiris" by making the people feel "subdued" and "suppressed". Mr. Lone, however, was quick to state that he is "too small a man" to advise Prime Minister Narendra Modi but urged the central government to "embrace" Kashmiris and not view the region through the "prism of a vote bank". He said the government should "come and feel Kashmir with their hands" and "give a soothing effect" to the people, adding that they should also listen to voices beyond political parties. On the security front, Mr. Lone said the situation is "first class" but is maintained by "the force of the stick", and stressed that the biggest casualty in Kashmir is "trust" . He said that a process of reconciliation must begin, not between countries, but between their own people. He said a new chapter of "sincerity" must be started with the new generation, which is unaware of the past.
