On September 1st, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, passed away at his residence in Srinagar. As news of his death spread, internet was snapped and there were reports of heavy deployment of Indian forces all over the city and especially around his residence. His family narrated that his body was snatched, and they were forced to bury Geelani sahib in the early hours of the morning. Geelani Sahab, or Bab (father), as he was fondly known in Kashmir, had been a threat to the occupation right from the 60s.
Bab served as the chairperson of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), an alliance of Kashmiri political, social and religious organizations that stood for the right to self-determination. He was also the founding chairperson of Tehreek-i-Hurriyat. His loss leaves an unfulfillable void in the struggle for Kashmiri self-determination and freedom from Indian occupation.
Bab was a firm believer of the Pakistan movement as a homeland for the Indian subcontinent’s Muslims and advocated Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan. He never wavered in his principles and relentlessly stood for Kashmiri peoples’ right to self-determination. His life was an example of unfettered resolve and passionate resistance. He always spoke truth to power, for which he spent years under detention in Indian prisons.
