Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Removes Title from Social Media Amidst Political Changes
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's Social Media Update
On Thursday evening, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a prominent moderate separatist leader from the Kashmir Valley, removed his title of Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference from his verified account on 'X'. His updated profile now only includes his name and place of origin. Mirwaiz has over two hundred thousand followers on the platform. There has been no comment from him regarding this development. His organization, the Awami Action Committee, has been banned by the central government under stringent anti-terrorism laws.
Background of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference
Established in 1993, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) is a coalition of separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir, historically influential in coordinating strikes and political mobilization.
Decline in Influence
However, over the past decade, the organization's influence has waned due to various factors, including internal conflicts and subsequent actions by the central government, which have tightened their stance against separatist groups.
Following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the central government imposed bans on most member organizations of the APHC, leading to the arrest of several senior leaders under strict laws, while many have withdrawn from public activities.
Current Status of the Hurriyat Conference
The Hurriyat has not conducted any political events or issued joint calls for years, resulting in a significant decline in its ground presence. Mirwaiz became the chairman of the Hurriyat at the age of 20 in 1993, just three years after the assassination of his father, Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq. In recent years, he has maintained a limited public presence, focusing mainly on religious sermons and statements regarding civil liberties and humanitarian issues. As this change occurred only on Wednesday evening, no political or official reactions have emerged yet, making it premature to draw any conclusions from this incident.