Srinagar- In the past five years, the Government of India has banned 10 separatist groups in Jammu & Kashmir.
Details reveal that the Union Home Ministry has declared nine separatist groups in J&K as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act-1967, since 2019.
On February 18, 2019, the Union Home Ministry banned Jamaat-e- Islami, a cadre-based organisation with pan- Kashmir presence. The MHA said that the outfit was involved in activities aimed at disrupting India’s integrity.
Nearly a month later, on March 22, 2019, the MHA declared Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) as an unlawful association for “supporting extremism and militancy” and indulging in “anti-national activity”.
On October 5, 2023, the Union Home Ministry banned jailed separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah’s Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party(JKDFP) for its “anti-India” and “pro-Pakistan” activities.
Two months later, on December 28, 203, the Union Home Ministry banned the Masarat Alam-led Muslim League, a separatist organisation, for “anti-national and secessionist” activities in J&K.
On December 31, 2023, the MHA banned Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) which was earlier headed by deceased separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
On February 28, 2024, the MHA first banned the Muslim Conference Jammu & Kashmir (Sumji faction) and Muslim Conference Jammu & Kashmir (Bhat faction) over terror charges. They were respectively part of Hurriyat(G) and Hurriyat(M) before August 5, 2019.
On March 12, 2023, the government banned the Jammu & Kashmir National Front over charges of “indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of the country.
On March 16, 2024 the Government of India banned four factions of Jammu & Kashmir Peoples League (JKPL) and Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Freedom League (JKPFL).
The MHA declared factions of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League (JKPL), namely, JKPL (Mukhtar Ahmed Waza), JKPL (Bashir Ahmad Tota), JKPL (Ghulam Mohammad Khan @Sopori) also known as Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Political League and JKPL (Aziz Sheikh) led by Yaqoob Sheikh, as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act-1967.
On the same day, the Centre banned Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Freedom League headed by Farooq Rehmani.
Centre Forms Tribunal To Review Legality
Meanwhile Centre on Monday constituted two tribunals under Justice Neena Bansal Krishna of the Delhi High Court to adjudicate whether there are sufficient grounds for declaring the Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir (Bhat faction) and the Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir (Sumji faction) as banned groups.
Both the organisations were declared banned groups by the government on February 28 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for five years for their anti-India and pro-Pakistan propaganda and for asking people to refrain from taking part in elections.
According to the UAPA, the constitution of a tribunal is necessary for confirming any government decision banning an outfit.
In a notification, the Union Home Ministry said in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5 read with sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the central government constituted the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal consisting of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir (Bhat faction) (MCJK-B) as an unlawful association.
In a separate notification, the home ministry said a tribunal has been constituted consisting of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir (Sumji faction) (MCJK-S) as an unlawful association.
Earlier, the home ministry had said the Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir- Sumji faction (MCJK-S), chaired by Ghulam Nabi Sumji, is known for its anti-India and pro-Pakistan propaganda and its members have remained involved in supporting terrorist activities and providing logistic support to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.
The leaders and members of MCJK-S have been involved in raising funds through various sources including Pakistan and its proxy organisations for perpetrating unlawful activities, including supporting terrorist activities, sustained stone-pelting on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
Besides, the home ministry said, the MCJK-S has constantly asked the people of Kashmir to refrain from taking part in elections and thereby targeted and hampered the very basic constitutionally recognized fundamentals of Indian democracy.
On the Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir-Bhat faction (MCJK-B), chaired by Abdul Ghani Bhat, the home ministry said the group has been indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country.
The home ministry said the MCJK-B has linkages with banned terrorist organisations and has supported terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and its members have been indulging in generating feelings of hatred and disaffection against India to separate Jammu and Kashmir from Union of India.
The leaders and members of the MCJK-B have been involved in raising funds through various sources including Pakistan and its proxy organisations for perpetrating unlawful activities, including supporting terrorist activities, sustained stone-pelting on Security Forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
The MCJK-B, by giving a clarion call to boycott elections on multiple occasions, has also attempted to subvert the will of people and democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir, the home ministry said.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
