Engineer Rashid and Amritpal Singh Win Indian Lok Sabha Elections from Jail

Written by Haris Qadeer and published by Azadi Times editorial staff: The Indian Lok Sabha elections: Engineer Rashid, imprisoned in Tihar Jail for five years, wins with over 100,000 votes from North Kashmir; Amritpal Singh also wins while in jail.

Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and BJP-aligned People’s Conference candidate Sajjad Gani Lone by more than 100,000 votes in the Indian Lok Sabha elections.

On the other hand, Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh, imprisoned in an Assam jail, also won the election. Both leaders have been kept in prisons outside their home states.

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Omar Abdullah is the grandson of Sheikh Abdullah, considered the most popular pro-India leader in Jammu and Kashmir, while Sajjad Gani Lone is the son of Abdul Gani Lone, a prominent figure in the struggle for the independence of Jammu and Kashmir.

However, instead of following in his father’s footsteps, Sajjad Gani Lone preferred to align politically with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Engineer Abdul Rashid was also considered close to Abdul Gani Lone. However, he founded his own party, the Awami Ittehad Party. He contested elections from this platform in the state assembly and served as a member of the legislative assembly twice.

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In the legislative assembly, Engineer Rashid openly demanded the right to self-determination for the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir. Since the 1990s, he was perhaps the only leader who was both part of the legislative assembly and demanding self-determination.

After the Indian constitutional action on August 5, 2019, almost all traditional and non-traditional leaders were jailed. However, Engineer Rashid, who was part of the assembly, was the only politician arrested under the black laws of terrorism funding and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Like the cases against separatist, freedom-loving, pro-independence, and pro-Pakistan leaders, Engineer Rashid was also targeted for retaliatory actions and has been in Tihar Jail since August 2019.

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Engineer Rashid decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from jail and filed his papers from the North Kashmir seat.

According to Indian media, two weeks before polling in the constituency, his sons Abrar Rashid and Israr Rashid started their father’s election campaign. He received such widespread public support that he defeated two major candidates who had been campaigning for months.

Engineer Rashid’s victory appears to be just one seat, but it could also mark the resurgence of resistance in Jammu and Kashmir in a new form. The people of North Kashmir have once again made it clear that they will never accept pro-imperialist politics and forced colonial occupation.

This election also signals a shift from militant resistance to political engagement in Jammu and Kashmir.

Dissociation from all forms of imperialist proxy wars and the struggle based on class unity against pro-imperialist ruling elites could not only change the destiny of the Himalayan region but also have widespread effects across the entire region.