Beliefs unchanged: Mirwaiz on removing Hurriyat title from X bio
Said the trust deficit between Kashmir and New Delhi has widened rather than narrowed
Days after Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, removed the designation “Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference” from his X (formerly Twitter) profile, he said his “beliefs and convictions have not changed, not even by a comma.”
Mirwaiz had earlier said he was under pressure for some time to alter his social media bio, failing which his account would be taken down. The move drew criticism from some quarters.
On Friday, Mirwaiz said he had once again been placed under house arrest and addressed people through social media instead of delivering his customary sermon at Srinagar’s Jama Masjid.
“I meet you on the first Friday of the year not in Jama Masjid, as the Mirwaiz should, but on social media, as I have once again been put under arrest,” he said.
Referring to the political situation since 2019, Mirwaiz said that despite unilateral changes, “the reality is that the Kashmir conflict continues to keep the region in an unsettled state that can erupt at any time.”
He said the trust deficit between Kashmir and New Delhi had widened rather than narrowed, and that a sense of “hopelessness” now prevailed among people. He also expressed concern over what he described as an existential crisis, citing fears of loss of identity following demographic changes, the downgrading of the state into a Union Territory, the withdrawal of constitutional guarantees, and changes to laws and rules.
Mirwaiz said that in 2025, the Awami Action Committee and Ittihadul Muslimeen—both constituents of the Hurriyat Conference—were banned.
“No public space is available to us, and even mediums of communication, including most local media, are not willing to provide space for expressing people’s demands or views,” he said.
Explaining his decision to alter his X profile, Mirwaiz said he was told that displaying the Hurriyat title could be considered illegal as its constituents are banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
“Displaying the title would be considered illegal and the platforms barred to me. I was left with little choice but to safeguard the minimal channel of communication available to me or face the risk of complete silencing,” he said, adding that social media remains “the only platform that provides some opportunity to connect with people and the outside world.”
Responding to criticism that the move amounted to a compromise, Mirwaiz rejected the allegation. “Some have criticised this move as a compromise. To them I say, how and for what? There is a strange argument that this was done for security. I have been provided security since the day of my father’s martyrdom 35 years ago. If I did not compromise then, why should I compromise now?” he said.
