Begum of notorious terrorist commander, ‘sister’ of Hafiz Saeed; Who is Kashmir’s first woman convicted separatist leader Asiya Andrabi?

There was a time in the separatist politics of Kashmir, when a woman emerged as the face of sloganeering on the streets, talking about Islamic identity and ‘azadi’. That was the face of Asiya Andrabi. Now the same Asiya Andrabi has been convicted under UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) by an NIA court in Delhi. After the removal of Article 370 in 2019 Yasin Malik She is the second big separatist leader after NIA, who has been taken on the path of punishment from the NIA court.

Delhi’s NIA special court has convicted Asiya Andrabi along with her two associates Nahida Nasreen and Fahmida Sofi. All three were accused of being part of a banned organization and were involved in activities against the sovereignty, integrity and security of India. According to the NIA, Asiya Andrabi and her team were promoting violent insurgency, hatred and separatism through social media, speeches and other platforms. A case was registered under UAPA in this matter in April 2018 and in July 2018, he was arrested from Srinagar jail.

Who is it Asiya Andrabi?

62-year-old Asiya Andrabi is considered the first female separatist leader of Kashmir. He was born in 1963. He is a Home Science graduate and in his early life he was inclined towards studies and a normal family life. After graduation, she wanted to do post graduation from Darjeeling, but after not getting the permission from her family, her inclination shifted towards Islamic literature. It was from here that her thoughts changed and she joined the women’s wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Establishment of Dukhtaran-e-Millat

In 1985, Asiya Andrabi separated from Jamaat-e-Islami and formed an organization named Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM). Initially it was described as a social reform movement, but in the 1990s this organization became a symbol of radical separatist ideology. The organization came into limelight in 1991 when it launched a forced veil (hijab) campaign in the Kashmir Valley. After this, Asiya Andrabi came to be recognized as a staunch Islamic and hardline separatist leader.

Terrorist connection and relationship with Hafiz Saeed

Asiya Andrabi’s name was not limited to separatist politics only. In 1990, she married Ashiq Hussain Faktu alias Mohammad Qasim, a notorious terrorist commander of the valley. Faktu is currently serving life imprisonment. Asiya Andrabi has also been getting the support of Hafiz Saeed, the leader of Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. Hafiz Saeed has called Ayesha his “sister” in public forums, which further strengthened the allegations of his being linked to the terrorist network.

Repeated arrests and PSA

Asiya Andrabi was first arrested in 1993. At that time her husband and newborn child were also with her. After this, he was sent to jail several times under the Public Safety Act (PSA). She was also known for campaigning against events such as Valentine’s Day, which she described as “un-Islamic”. She was famous for her staunch stance that many times she even openly criticized Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the biggest face of the separatist camp.

Strictness of central government after 2018

In 2018, the central government declared Dukhtaran-e-Millat a terrorist organization and banned it. After the arrest of Asiya Andrabi, NIA seized her house in Srinagar in July 2019. This was the first time that such action was taken on the property of a woman separatist leader. After the removal of Article 370, due to the strict policy of the Central Government, the land of separatist organizations in the valley was almost lost. Dukhtaran-e-Millat has also now become an organization in name only.

Serious allegations by NIA

In the NIA FIR, serious allegations were made against Asiya Andrabi and her associates like membership of a banned organization, waging war against the country, treason, criminal conspiracy, inciting riots, spreading hatred between communities, inciting rebellion against the government. According to former NIA IG Alok Mittal, the accused made such speeches and propaganda which were an attempt to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India and justify violence.

How much political impact?

Experts believe that Asiya Andrabi’s punishment will not have any major political impact on the ground, because the separatist structure in the valley has already weakened. But this decision definitely strengthens the message of the Central Government that the ‘zero tolerance’ policy against separatism and terrorism will continue. The sentencing of Ayesha Andrabi after Yasin Malik shows that the decades-long separatist system in Kashmir has now reached a decisive phase on both the legal and political fronts.