Amidst the milieu of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, a captivating narrative unfolds. The progeny of the late Kashmiri separatist luminary, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, namely Ruwa Shah, and the eldest offspring of incarcerated separatist figure Shabir Ahmad Shah, Sama Shabir, have taken a remarkable stance by affirming their allegiance to the sovereignty of the Union of India.
This turn of events marks a significant setback for the separatist movement in the valley. On the recent date of Thursday, March 21, a pair of identical proclamations, disseminated through regional periodicals in Kashmir, unequivocally assert that Ruwa and Sama stand as “ardent adherents of India.”
“I proudly identify as a committed national of India, devoid of any affiliations with entities or collectives espousing anti-Union sentiments, and I solemnly uphold my fealty to the Constitutional principles of my homeland,” expressed Ruwa Shah, the offspring of Geelani’s son-in-law, Altaf Ahmad Shah, in the published proclamation. It is noteworthy that Ruwa’s paternal figure endured incarceration on charges of purportedly financing terrorism and succumbed to a protracted ailment the previous year.
In a commensurate announcement, the 24-year-old scion of Shabir Shah, Sama, articulated, “I wholeheartedly embrace my status as a loyal Indian national, disentangled from any affiliations with individuals or organizations opposing the sovereignty of the Union of India.”
“I categorically disavow any association with the DFP or its doctrinal tenets,” cautioned Sama, while cautioning against unwarranted associations with the separatist faction. Her father, Shabir Shah, was apprehended in 2017 by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of purported money laundering activities linked to the financing of terrorism. Subsequently, he faced indictments from the National Investigation Agency for alleged involvement in the financial backing of terrorist activities.
