SRINAGAR (KIMS) — Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday removed the designation of Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), from his bio on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), describing the move as a Hobson’s choice.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an alliance of Kashmiri separatist groups formed in 1993 was banned by the Government of India after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories in 2019. All its constituents, including the Mirwaiz-led Awami Action Committee (AAC), were banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Mirwaiz said that he had been under pressure for some time from the authorities to make changes to his social media profile, as all constituents of the Hurriyat Conference stand banned under the UAPA, failing which his X handle would be taken down.
He said that at a time when public space and avenues of communication remain severely restricted, social media continues to be among the very few platforms available to him to reach out to people, share his views on issues, and communicate with the outside world.
Under these circumstances, the Mirwaiz said, he was left with what he described as a “Hobson’s choice.” — (KIMS)