The decision of separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to remove the designation "Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference" from his social media profile has raised many eyebrows.
The move has triggered speculation and discussion not only in mainstream political circles in Jammu and Kashmir but also within separatist circles in the Valley.
The change was noticed on Thursday evening, when Mirwaiz's profile—followed by over 200,000 users—was updated to display only his name along with general location details.
The reference to his long-held position as chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was conspicuously absent, marking a significant departure from his earlier public identification.
Mirwaiz, who heads the Awami Action Committee (AAC), has remained under close scrutiny in recent years.
Following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, the Awami Action Committee was banned by the Union government under stringent anti-terror laws. While banning Mirwaiz's outfit, the authorities alleged that the group was involved in activities considered prejudicial to national security and public order.
Hurriyat Conference is already banned: Mirwaiz
Defending his decision to remove the "Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference" tag, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that the amalgam has already been banned by the authorities.
"For some time now, I was being pressed by the authorities to make changes to my X (formerly Twitter) handle as Hurriyat chairman, as all constituents of the Hurriyat Conference, including the Awami Action Committee that I head, have been banned under the UAPA, making the Hurriyat a banned organisation. Failing this, they would take down my handle," Mirwaiz posted on his social media handle.
"At a time when public space and avenues of communication stand severely restricted, this platform remains among the very few means available to me to reach out to my people and share my views on our issues with them and with the outside world. Under such circumstances, it is a Hobson's choice I was left to make," he further said.
Hurriyat Conference was formed in 1993
When terrorism was at its peak in Jammu and Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference was established in 1993. The amalgamation of different separatist groups functioned for decades as an umbrella platform for several separatist and religious-political organisations in the region.
At its peak, the APHC played a central role in mobilising public opinion through sustained political campaigns, protests, and socio-religious outreach.
Hurriyat Conference was split multiple times after 2003
The Hurriyat Conference witnessed several splits after 2003 due to internal differences among its leadership.
The first major split in 2003 was widely believed to have been triggered by the participation of the Peoples Conference (PC)—then led by Abdul Gani Lone—in elections through proxies.
Abdul Gani Lone was assassinated on May 21, 2002, by terrorists at the Eidgah ground in downtown Srinagar. His killing proved to be a turning point for his younger son, Sajad Lone. While Sajad Lone continued with the Hurriyat Conference for some time, he later parted ways with his elder brother, Bilal Lone, in February 2004 to float his own faction of the Peoples Conference, founded by his father. Sajad Lone eventually entered mainstream politics.
The process further accelerated following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, after which several constituent organisations of the APHC were proscribed, key leaders were detained, and many others withdrew from active public life.
In April this year, three more political organisations in Jammu and Kashmir disassociated themselves from the Hurriyat Conference. These include the Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Political Party, the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Democratic League, and the Kashmir Freedom Front.
Mirwaiz's decision sparks speculation
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's decision to drop the chairman designation from his public profile has fuelled speculation about a possible distancing from the organisation or a recalibration of his political stance.
Meanwhile, Mirwaiz's office said that some opportunistic elements have launched a "vicious campaign" over the issue.
