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Finally, Geelani visits Hazratbal dargah after over a decade

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 7/23/2012 1:51:08 AM

SRINAGAR, Jul 22: After more than a decade and several unsuccessful attempts in recent years, Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, finally visited the Hazratbal shrine today.
The surprise visit came when Geelani’s brief cavalcade, while heading towards the Kanitar residence of deceased Prof Meraj-ud-Din for participation in his final rites, happened to cross the shrine at the time of Zuhr prayers.
The separatist leader and his associates entered the shrine for prayers, surprising the policemen deployed at the gates.
“Azan had just been said when we reached close to Dargah. Geelani Sahab said ‘we shall first offer Namaz’, so we went inside (Dargah) for prayers,” the spokesman of Hurriyat (G), Ayaz Akbar, accompanying the leader, said.
“They (policemen at the gate) may have stopped us, but no one came to know until we were inside,” he added.
Reaching late the leader and his associates missed the congregational prayers, and later prayed separately.
Geelani had last visit Hazratbal in ‘90s. Ever since, state has thwarted his every attempt to revisit the shrine.
The most recent attempt was made in 2010, when Geelani announced to visit the shrine on Eid-ul-Fitr. But police placed him under house arrest and sealed off the shrine, failing the endeavor.
“He was not allowed to visit Hazratbal after ‘90s decade,” Akbar said, “Today also they may not have allowed us, but it all happened too suddenly for police to react.”
Learning about Geelani’s presence inside the shrine, a large number of people gathered in and around the shrine. Shouting pro-freedom slogans, the crowd wanted the separatist leader to address, but he was in hurry.
“They insisted for it, but Geelani sahib was in hurry because he had to attend the Namaz-e-Jinazah of Prof Meraj-ud-Din,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, a large contingent of police, headed by the SP, arrived at the shrine, closely monitoring the developments. The separatists, however, left without much drama and participated in the last rites of the professor, who was director Kashmir University’s IT department. The crowd dispersed peacefully too.
Earlier this forenoon police lifted the restrictions placed over Geelani’s movement. Akbar said the police truck deployed at the gate of Geelani‘s Hyderpora residence was removed soon after Madhu Kishwar of Kashmir committee, constituted by Ram Jethmalani, visited him.
“She visited in the morning, apart from other issues she discussed about the continuous house arrest of Geelani Sahab. After she left the deployed was removed, which allowed Geelani Sahab to come out for Jinazah of Prof Meraj-ud-Din,” he said.