SRINAGAR — Senior separatist leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that despite the abrogation of Article 370, the Kashmir conflict remains unresolved and continues to keep the region in an unsettled, volatile state and could erupt at any time. His remarks came days after he removed the “Hurriyat Conference chairman” tag from his X bio, citing pressure from authorities.
Mirwaiz, who delivers Friday sermons at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, said he was placed under house arrest at his Nageen residence on Friday and prevented from offering congregational prayers at the mosque.
He also ruled out any compromise after removing the Hurriyat Conference chairman tag from his X bio, The New Indian Express reported.
“As another year begins and we look forward to it, painful memories of 2025 stay with us.
It was a year marked by tragedy and uncertainty. The horrific Pahalgam attack shook us deeply. Unequivocally condemned by one and all in the valley, it led to a lot of anxiety among the people as they were targeted and homes demolished. This was followed by another India–Pakistan war, and a stark reminder of how fragile peace in the region continues to be,” Mirwaiz wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
I meet you on the first Friday of the year not in Jama Masjid, as the Mirwaiz should, but on social media, as I have once again been put under arrest!
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) January 2, 2026
As another year begins and we look forward to it, painful memories of 2025 stay with us.
It was a year marked by tragedy and… pic.twitter.com/3ZmMq7P0sX
He said, despite making unilateral changes in 2019 (referring to the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and bifurcation of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state into two Union Territories), the reality is that the Kashmir conflict continues to keep the region in an unsettled state that can erupt anytime.
“That is why wars are paused, not ended, and dialogue finds no takers. The year-end witnessed another tragedy — the massive blast and loss of life in New Delhi,” Mirwaiz said.
According to him, beyond these incidents in which Kashmiris find themselves at the receiving end of suspicion and attacks in parts of India, not much has changed for them.
“The trust deficit between them and New Delhi has widened, not shrunk. Enforced silence is projected as acquiescence. Wounds remain open, problems unaddressed, and an elected government of a UT complains of being powerless,” he said.
“A sense of hopelessness prevails, along with an existential crisis of losing one’s identity through demographic change since the state was downgraded to a Union Territory, constitutional guarantees withdrawn, and rules and laws tweaked,” he added.
