‘Shun rigidity and change your strategy’

Like Sajad all separatist leaders will one day contest elections: Agha Abdul Hussain

Srinagar: Former Hurriyat leader Agha Abdul Hussain Saturday advised Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other separatist leaders to shun their rigid approach and contest polls for the betterment of the people. “I am contesting elections from North Kashmir but that does not mean I am anti Freedom Movement. We must understand that by contesting elections can’t take us away from our goal of freedom,” Hussain told Srinagar based news gathering agency CNS adding that Mirwaiz and other separatist leader would one day do, what Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Lone did in 2009.

“Why these separatist leaders are relying only on election boycott call. This is a wrong notion that those who vote are anti-Movement. I was a militant commander but I realized that armed struggle could only lead us towards death and destruction and it is not a source of revolution,” Hussain said.

He said that those separatist leaders who force people to boycott elections are the friends of foes of Kashmiri people. “Hurriyat leaders are pursuing a sacred cause but their strategy is wrong. They fail to assess the ground situation. For some leaders election boycott has become a prestigious point and they don’t want that people should feel relaxed and come out from their miseries by casting their vote,” Agha Abdul Hussain told CNS.

Former separatist leader and the brother of Agha Hassan, Hurriyat Conference (M) leader, who has filed nomination papers to contest Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla constituency further said that the leaders of Palestine gave legitimacy to their Freedom Movement by contesting elections. “The Hamas leader contest elections and still they are fighting against the aggression of Israeil. People have laid down their lives here for the ongoing movement and Hurriyat leaders must change their mindset,” he said. (CNS)