From Engineer Rashid to 'Freedom Chacha': Ex-militants, separatists go maintream in Jammu and Kashmir

(L-R) Engineer Rashid, Zaffar Habib Dar and Gulzar Ahmad Dar

More than a dozen people in Jammu and Kashmir have moved past militant and separatist ideologies, actively participating in the assembly elections that concluded this week, marking what many are calling a winds of change in the region.

In a three-phase assembly election held in J&K Union Territory after a decade, five former militants, four jailed separatist leaders, and ten candidates from the banned Jamaat-e-Islami outfit contested the elections.

J&K elections 2024: Complete coverage

The participation of former militants and separatists signals a major shift in the region’s political landscape, moving away from the boycotts that have dominated polls for three decades.

Political analysts in the Valley attribute the participation of former militants and separatist leaders in the electoral process to the revocation of J&K’s special status under Article 370.

According to analysts, the situation in the region has changed dramatically after the abrogation of Article 370, with security agencies tightening their grip on militants, separatists, and their supporters. For example, with various political and separatist organisations banned and many leaders languishing in jail, these individuals now view contesting elections as their only option for achieving a semblance of normalcy in their lives.

Five former militants who contested J&K polls

Usman Majeed: Majid, hailing from north Kashmir’s Bandipora, is a former militant who transformed into a pro-government counter-insurgency militia member and finally became a politician. Initially a key member of the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Liberation Front (SLF), he joined militancy in 1989, traveling to Pakistan to pick up arms. However, in the mid-1990s, he returned, shifted his ideology, and contested his first election in 1996 as a candidate for the J&K Awami League, founded by counter-insurgency leader Kuka Parray. Majid has participated in six elections prior to 2024, winning twice—first as an MLA in 2002 and again in 2014 as a Congress candidate. He also served as a Minister of State in the Congress-PDP J&K government in 2006.

Gulzar Ahmad Dar: In 1990, Dar also crossed over to Pakistan for arms training and returned to the Valley as a militant a year later, associating with the Muslim Mujahideen militant outfit. He surrendered in 1994 and subsequently joined a government-backed counterinsurgent force, where he served for two years. In 2020, Dar was elected as a District Development Council (DDC) member, and in the 2024 assembly elections, he became the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Damhal Hanji Pora Assembly seat in Kulgam.

Saif ud din Bhat: The National Conference candidate from central Kashmir’s Khansahib assembly segment Bhat has a complex and controversial background, having been involved in militancy, as mentioned in police records, and serving time in jail. He began his political career with the Congress party but later joined the PDP, where he gained initial recognition. Bhat later transitioned to the NC, reflecting a shift in his political affiliations. He previously contested elections in 2008 and 2014 on the PDP ticket and tried to make his mark in the recently concluded elections as a candidate for the NC.

Sheikh Fida Hussain: The Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate from Devsar in Kulgam, has a controversial background marked by police records of his involvement in militancy. Formerly a police constable, Hussain was dismissed after being arrested during an encounter with a militant and subsequently served one and a half years in jail. Currently, a case against him is chargesheeted before the TADA court. In his election affidavit, he had disclosed multiple cases but asserts that he has not been convicted of any offences.

Mohammad Farooq Khan: Khan, also known as Saifullah, is a former militant who was among the first to cross the Line of Control in 1989 for weapons training in Pakistan. After completing his training during the peak of the insurgency, he returned to Kashmir and joined the J&K Liberation Front (JKLF). However, Khan was arrested during a cordon and search operation on September 7, 1991, in Munawarabad and spent over seven years in Jammu’s Kot Bhalwal Jail and Delhi’s Tihar Jail, where he met top militant commanders, including Masood Azhar and Sajad Afghani. In 2018, he contested the Srinagar Municipal Corporation elections on a BJP ticket but was unsuccessful. Recently, he contested the assembly polls on a Samajwadi Party ticket from the Habba Kadal constituency.

Separatist leaders and jailed politicians

Zaffar Habib Dar: A former activist of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and supporter of Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s hardline faction, Dar has contested the recent polls from Central Shalteng Assembly seat as a candidate for the J&K Apni Party, led by Altaf Bukhari. Hailing from Zainakote in Srinagar, Dar’s political activism grew during the 2008 land agitation, where he participated in anti-government protests and was arrested under the Public Safety Act, causing hardships for his family. After his release, he shifted towards mainstream politics, joining the Apni Party. The move illustrates a growing trend among former separatists aiming to influence governance from within established political frameworks.

Engineer Rashid: Despite being incarcerated in Delhi's Tihar Jail, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, known as Engineer Rashid, won the Lok Sabha elections from North Kashmir's Baramulla seat, buoyed by enthusiastic crowds during his campaign led by his son, Abrar. A firebrand leader and former MLA from Kupwara’s Langate constituency, Rashid was the first mainstream politician charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in 2019. He secured interim bail on September 10 and was released the following day. Since then, he has actively campaigned for candidates from his party, the Awami Itihad Party (AIP), across the region. Recently, a Delhi court extended his interim bail until October 12, which means he will have to surrender the day after the J&K election results are announced on October 8.

Sarjan Barkati: Incarcerated Kashmiri separatist leader and cleric Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, known as “Freedom Chacha,” and the pied piper of Kashmir, contested the recent assembly polls in the Ganderbal and Beerwah constituencies. He gained prominence during the 2016 protests in South Kashmir after the killing of Burhan Wani, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander, which led to widespread unrest and 90 civilian deaths. Barkati was first arrested in October 2016, released in October 2020, and re-arrested in August 2023 on charges of terror funding, along with his wife. His daughter, Sugra Barkati, filed nomination papers on his behalf and vigorously campaigned for him. Barkati was associated with Ummat-e-Islami, a socio-religious group and his political bid comes after incarcerated Engineer Rashid, defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.

Shuiab Mohammad Sheikh: A resident of north Kashmir’s Tujjar Sharief, Sheikh also contested assembly elections from jail after his arrest in 2021 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly serving as an overground worker (OGW) for the Al-Badr militant outfit. Sheikh had expressed his desire to participate in the democratic process during recent Lok Sabha elections and finally contested assembly elections from Sopore. Holding a pharmacy degree, the 39-year-old Sheikh ran a sanitary shop before his arrest. Currently incarcerated at Udhampur jail under the Public Safety Act, he faces multiple terrorism-related charges. According to police, he has been implicated in storing arms, providing logistical support to militants, and encouraging local youth to join militancy.

Proscribed Jamaat backed candidates contest polls

The banned Jamaat outfit has also fielded independent candidates in ten constituencies, including Pulwama, Kulgam, Zainapora, and Devsar in south Kashmir, as well as Beerwah, Langate, Bandipora, Baramulla, Sopore, and Rafiabad. Some famous candidates include Kalimullah Lone, Talat Majid, Sayar Reshi, and Hafiz Mohammad. Historically, the Jamaat has refrained from participating in elections after 1987, supporting the separatist Hurriyat Conference, which advocated for poll boycotts from 1993 to 2003.

While the Jamaat is currently prohibited from participating in elections due to a ban by the Union Home Ministry, it had expressed a desire to contest elections directly if the ban were lifted, claiming it could have fielded up to 50 candidates in the recent assembly elections.