Pulwama, May 15: Dr Talat Majid, a former member of Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir and current leader of the Apni Party, said that JeI always believed in democratic and constitutional norms but was silenced by threats over the years.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir at his residence in the Goripora village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Dr Majid said the JeI’s panel head Ghulam Qadir Wani is not the first leader to express support for democracy.
“Previous leaders, including former head Ghulam Mohammed Bhat, had also consistently voiced their commitment to democratic values,” he said, adding that Bhat in many of his speeches emphasised that Jamaat-e-Islami J&K upholds democratic and constitutional principles.
However, the pervasive atmosphere of separatist politics over the last 35 years stifled free expression, he added.
Dr Majid recounted the severe consequences faced by those who dared to voice their opinions, revealing that individuals who sided with truth and wisdom were often silenced through intimidation.
“People holding differing opinions faced terrible fates, serving as examples to force others into submission,” he revealed, “Many were willing to express their views but were threatened into silence.”
The Apni Party leader mentioned a particularly chilling incident where a Jamaat leader received bullets in a parcel as a warning. “These were the methods used to ensure silence,” he said, expressing his empathy with those denied the freedom to speak.
Dr Majid revealed that since 2019, a more conducive atmosphere has emerged in Jammu and Kashmir, allowing individuals to express their opinions more freely.
Dr Talat Majid, 47, who left his government job to enter politics in 2023, was associated with Jamaat-e-Islami J&K from 2002 to 2014. He served as a Rukun (member) of the organisation from 2003 for a three-year tenure till 2006.
In February 2019, Jamaat was banned for five years. In February this year, the Centre extended the ban for additional five years.
The Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, with which Majid is now affiliated, is campaigning to lift this ban. It is in this context that Jamaat leaders and members openly vow allegiance to uphold democratic values.
Many of their leaders and members have been seen exercising their right to franchise in the ongoing parliamentary elections, which is seen as a departure from the organisation’s previous stance.
Many Jamaat leaders and members participated in the ongoing parliament elections and are encouraging others for participation, which is seen as a shift from the past.
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