Jamaat-e-Islami makes strategic comeback, holds first election rally in Kashmir after 37 years

Srinagar: For the first time since the tumultuous 1987 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Jamaat-e-Islami, a banned religious-political organisation, has re-emerged into the region's political landscape with a major election rally on Sunday, sparking significant excitement and anticipation.

The organisation, which was banned by the central government following the 2019 Pulwama terror attack that claimed the lives of 40 paramilitary personnel, has made a strategic comeback by fielding at least 10 of its members as independents in the upcoming assembly polls.

On Sunday, Jamaat-e-Islami held a large-scale rally in Bugam, a town in the southern Kulgam district. The event marked the organisation’s return to electoral politics after 37 years, albeit through indirect means due to the ban.

The streets were thronged with enthusiastic supporters, demonstrating the renewed interest and energy surrounding the party’s activities.

Given its banned status, Jamaat-e-Islami cannot officially contest the elections. Instead, it is backing proxy candidates.

One of its prominent candidates, Sayar Ahmad Resh, is running against Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami of the CPM, an influential leader who has held the Kulgam seat uninterruptedly since 1996.

Some Jamaat leaders, who were released from jails in the recent months, have formed a panel led by senior leader Ghulam Qadir Wani. This panel is reportedly engaging in negotiations with the central government through J&K Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari, aiming to secure permission to contest elections and lift the ban on the organisation.

During the rally in Bugam, Shamim Ahmad Thoker, a panel advisor, assured the crowd that Jamaat-e-Islami would operate within the Indian Constitution’s framework while advocating for the rights of the people and addressing issues of oppression.

“We will abide by the Constitution of India but will not shy away from talking about oppression and the rights of the people. We will become promoters and supporters of peace. You will have to support us,” Thoker said.

Jamaat-e-Islami previously contested the 1987 elections under the banner of the Muslim United Front, an election marred by allegations of rigging and believed to have contributed to the insurgency in the region.

Originally a puritan and reformist movement focused on social and religious causes, Jamaat-e-Islami is considered the ideological precursor to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, a major militant group that has been involved in armed conflict in Kashmir since 1990.

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen’s former chief commander, Ahsan Dar, described the group as the “sword arm of the Jamaat” in 1990. By 1991, the Jamaat had consolidated control over Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, with Mohammad Yousuf Shah, previously Jamaat’s Srinagar head, becoming the militant group's supreme commander under the nom de guerre Syed Salahuddin.

Salahuddin is reportedly based in Pakistan and leads the United Jihad Council (UJC), a coalition of various terror groups.