In a significant political development, top leaders of the separatist Hurriyat conference gathered in Srinagar on Tuesday for their first meeting since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The meeting, held at the residence of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was attended by senior separatist leaders including Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Gani Lone.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed his emotions on social media, stating, “Alhumdulilah! After more than five years, I got a chance to be together with my dear colleagues Professor sb, Bilal sb, and Masroor sb. An emotional experience of different feelings, including missing colleagues in jail. But happy to see dear Prof. sb in good spirits and an alert mind at this age.” He also shared a video from the meeting, emphasizing the significance of their gathering.

Since the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory, the Central Government has taken stringent measures against separatist activities. Many leaders have been jailed or have gone into hibernation, severely impacting the separatist ecosystem in the region.

Despite these challenges, Mirwaiz has been allowed to perform his religious duties briefly from time to time at Jamia Masjid Srinagar. However, this meeting marks a notable return to political discourse for the Hurriyat Conference under his leadership.

The timing of this meeting is particularly interesting, coming just a week after Omar Abdullah assumed office as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The circumstances surrounding the police’s approval for this gathering- still under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha- remain unclear.