SRINAGAR: Former Hurriyat Conference leader Bilal Gani Lone on Sunday held a workers’ rally in north Kashmir’s Handwara constituency, signalling his entry into mainstream politics while asserting his claim to the political legacy of his slain father, Abdul Gani Lone.
The move is widely seen as opening a new chapter in the Lone family politics and could pose a formidable challenge to his younger brother, People’s Conference president and Handwara MLA Sajjad Gani Lone.
In July last year, Bilal Lone had held the Hurriyat Conference responsible for its own irrelevance, calling the separatist conglomerate “non-functional”, while also slamming Pakistan for creating a “mess” and “fissures” in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Sunday’s rally at village Dard Hari in Kupwara district by Bilal Lone marks a significant transition from separatist politics to mainstream political engagement, underscoring what he described as the need to respond to the changing realities on the ground while continuing to safeguard the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
With Bilal Lone’s entry, the Handwara assembly constituency is likely to become the focal point of an emerging political contest between the two brothers, each claiming to carry forward the political and ideological legacy of their father, a prominent Hurriyat leader killed by terrorists on May 21, 2002 here during a memorial death anniversary rally for Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq.
Claiming the political legacy of his late father, Bilal Lone threw down the gauntlet to his political opponents, particularly his brother Sajjad Lone, asserting that he remains committed to the values, principles and ideals his father stood for. He vowed to continue fighting for the rights and interests of the people.
“It is deeply saddening to see my father’s name being maligned. He was a true man of the people who had the courage to challenge the powers that be. He stood firmly by his values and principles throughout his life. Unfortunately, his legacy and ideals are being overshadowed by narcissistic politics. I will not allow that to happen,” he said.
Bilal Lone said political transitions should not be viewed with suspicion or ridicule when they are driven by the larger interests of the people.
“Let us accept the reality that the situation on the ground has changed and we are living in a different political reality. But that does not mean we abandon our effort to safeguard the interests of our people. What the moment demands is a meeting of minds, where people with different ideologies and political affiliations come together to evolve a common roadmap so that future generations can live with honour and dignity,” he said.
“It cannot be a one-man show. Every right-thinking person has a role to play in this process,” he added. PTI)
