Geelani

Geelani is a surname in South Asia, most commonly associated with Syed Ali Shah Geelani (c. 1929–2021), a Kashmiri political and religious figure who played a leading role in the Kashmir independence movement. Geelani studied Islamic scholarship and joined political activism in the Jammu and Kashmir region. He was linked with Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir in his early career and became a prominent voice within the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an umbrella group advocating for a resolution to the Kashmir dispute. In the early 2000s he led a faction of Hurriyat known as Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and served as its chairman for several years.

Geelani's stance combined religious conservatism with a political demand for self-determination for Jammu and Kashmir. He consistently rejected Indian governance over the region and supported closer ties with Pakistan as part of his broader advocacy for self-rule, though his exact proposals varied over time. His positions and activism made him a polarizing figure, lauded by supporters who viewed him as a steadfast defender of Kashmiri self-determination and criticized by opponents who labeled him a separatist and a pro-Pakistan advocate. He faced restrictions, including house arrest, during periods of unrest.

Geelani died on September 1, 2021, in Srinagar after a prolonged illness. His death was widely noted by both supporters and critics and marked a significant moment in Kashmir's political landscape.