Should Syed Gilani be Given Passport?

Introduction

The Kashmiri Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani has been enjoying the dual citizenship of India and Pakistan for decades together. Due to the separate status accorded to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the leaders of both hard-line and moderate fashions of All Party Hurriyat Conference have been getting the benefits from the Indian government. Even the state governments that come and go in that state give special concessions and benefits to the leaders of this separatist party. Only when these leaders cross a certain line, such as hoisting of Pakistani flag and raising of anti-India slogans in rallies, they are taken into custody and put under preventive house arrest. They have never been held responsible for the deaths that happen due to mob unrest after their instigation in rallies.  Recently, he has openly admitted that he is not an Indian. He further confided that he thought of Indian citizenship only when the need for passport came to his mind.

Pro-Pakistan Party

All Party Hurriyat Conference has always stood for the Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan. At the height of militancy, the members of this pro-Pakistan party clandestinely helped the militants with hideouts in Kashmir. The members of this party have been very blatant in airing their views against the government of India. In other countries, they would have been snuffed out in no time. They believe that people of Jammu and Kashmir would be well off under Pakistani occupation. They have never left any stone unturned whenever they got a chance to alienate Indian people in foreign countries. Though the party moderated to some extent, it still stands as a pro-Pakistani party. The hard-line faction of this party is led by the veteran pro-Pakistani leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani.

Gilani Becomes Indian for Convenience

Syed Gilani is the most vociferous and venomous leader in All Party Hurriyat Conference. He has been talking about Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and atrocities done by Indian Army and other security agencies. He conveniently forgets the atrocities done by militants in Kashmir valley and mentions not a word about them. He openly speaks his allegiance to Pakistan and goes to meet the Pakistani diplomats in Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Despite this, he was regularly given the Indian passport by the central government thinking that all parties to the problem need to be taken on board. The leaders of this party speak against India and they are given country’s passport whenever they visit abroad. They have never said they are Indians. Yet, they are given Indian passport. Syed Gilani used to record himself as an Indian only at the time of getting a passport. At all other times, he would call himself a Kashmiri who has allegiance to Pakistan. Syed Gilani and other leaders of this pro-Pakistani party are getting all the benefits for speaking against India in Jammu and Kashmir to clinch international attention.  The parties such as National Conference and People’s Democratic Party have been vying each other to provide all the assistance to this party whenever they formed the government in that state.

Open Acknowledgement

On June 4, 2015, Syed Gilani openly acknowledged that he is not an Indian. He told the presspersons that he was born in a disputed territory. The veteran leader was interacting with the scribes when he went to the Passport Office in Srinagar in Jammu Kashmir to renew his passport so that he could get a visa for visiting his ailing daughter in Saudi Arabia. He said that he has been filling the column for the citizenship as Indian to get the passport. This means that he would call himself Indian when it comes to the material needs. Otherwise, he would raise a revolt against the very nation from which he has obtained the passport to visit abroad, especially Pakistan. Hence, he should not be given a passport from our country unless and until he acknowledges his Indian citizenship.