Kashmir Newz Specials

Shift in Kashmir Bar Politics

The recent elections in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association Srinagar may not have been anything unusual but the first announcement by the new President about distancing from political and religious groups made the speculations rife. Peerzada Arshad Hamid analyses. reports.

Srinagar, Aug 11, 2007:

Loud message

As soon as Nazir Ahmad Ronga assumed office as the new President of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association President, he announced that the Bar would distance itself from political and religious groups. He added that the Bar would stick to its constitution and would be very selective in endorsing the strike calls given by various outfits.

The statement indicates a big shift in the policies of Bar that has been pro-active in Kashmir politics especially after the outbreak of insurgency against Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989. “The clarification was necessary so that it becomes clear that we are not linked to any particular group,” Ronga said.

However Ronga’s predecessor Mian Abdul Qayoom sees no sense in the statement.

“I don’t understand why he has issued such a statement. Bar was an independent institution. It is independent. It will continue to remain so. Bar has a role towards the Kashmir issue enshrined in its constitution and it is bound by that,” said Qayoom.

Insiders say the statement came because people had started linking the outcome of recent Bar elections as victory for the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Mohammed Umar Farooq and the defeat for hardline faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

The former president was seen as close to the Geelani’s faction. Although Qayoom was not contesting the elections himself, the Geelani group was represented by Mohammad Shafi Reshie who lost the elections to Ronga.

“We strictly adhered to our constitution and our strategy was straightforward. People began to consider us close to Geelani’s Hurriyat.

We never took these things seriously,” said Ashraf Beedar, the former Bar Secretary.

continued . . .