Srinagar, Aug 26: People’s Conference (PC) President Sajad Gani Lone on Monday welcomed the reports that some individuals affiliated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) will be contesting in the upcoming assembly elections.
“Jamaat has a history of struggle and a deep understanding of pain and suffering, which puts them in a better position to empathise with and represent the plight of Kashmiris,” Lone said in a statement.
He said while the PC and JeI coexisted in the mainstream political space before 1989, they rarely agreed politically and often fought each other bitterly in elections. “Despite our political differences, I am glad to see a party with such a history of struggle participating in these elections,” he remarked.
Lone also revisited the debate between “Victims” and “Victors”. He said the mainstream space has been dominated by those whom he described as “victors”. The “victors”, he said, were responsible for jailing, killing and torturing people during the worst times of violence post-1989.
The PC leader warned Jamaat of the potential challenges they might face from the dominant mainstream political forces. “Very soon, these mainstream ‘victors’ will launch a sustained slander campaign, both covertly and overtly,” he said.
