Modi’s Kashmir policy scores win as Separatist leaders disavow Hurriyat, Amit Shah declares ‘new era’

Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that separatism in Jammu and Kashmir has become a thing of the past, following announcements by two organisations once linked to the Hurriyat Conference that they were cutting all ties with separatism.

Advocate Muhammad Shafi Reshi, head of the Democratic Political Movement (DPM), and Shahid Saleem, leader of the J&K People's Movement (JKPM), publicly distanced themselves from the Hurriyat, citing the conglomerate's failure to address the aspirations of the people of J&K.

In a post on X, Shah hailed this as a major step in strengthening the unity of India. "The unifying policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government have tossed separatism out of Jammu and Kashmir," he wrote. Shah welcomed the move and urged other separatist groups to follow suit and abandon separatism once and for all.


The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), formed in 1993, was a coalition of separatist organisations advocating for the 'pro-freedom' cause of Jammu and Kashmir. By 2003, the APHC had split into two factions: one led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, which engaged in dialogue with the Indian government, and another by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who rejected talks unless India acknowledged the disputed nature of Kashmir. Over the years, the APHC included over 30 political entities, many led by individual leaders.

Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has taken strong action against separatist organisations, banning several factions from both APHC groups, and imprisoning many of their leaders. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned the Mirwaiz-led Awami Action Committee and the Ittehad ul Muslimeen party led by Shia leader Masroor Abbas.

In their statements, both Saleem and Reshi emphasised their break from separatism. "I, Shahid Saleem, Chairman of JKPM, hereby solemnly declare that neither my organisation nor I have any connection with APHC(G), APHC(A), or any separatist entity," Saleem stated. He warned of legal action against anyone attempting to link his name or organization with separatist factions.