In the three Fridays that have passed since the results on October 4, Mirwaiz has not just addressed the Friday prayers, he has also made statements seeking resolution of Kashmir issue and reconciliation, and denounced the killing of seven workers in a targeted militant attack near Sonamarg.

Soon after his meeting with Hurriyat leaders, Mirwaiz, who is the chairman of the conglomerate, posted on X: “Alhumdulilah! (Thank God). After more than five years, I got a chance to be together with my dear colleagues… An emotional experience of different feelings, including missing colleagues in jail.”

Those present did not speak publicly about what was discussed at the meeting, especially if separatist politics figured or the recent elections, in which the pro-Pakistan separatist outfit Jamaat-e-Islami returned to the political fray for the first time after 1987, with a faction supporting candidates.

However, there was little doubt that the meeting signified a clear shift in the wind blowing from New Delhi since the elections – which were the first after the abrogation of Article 370, and saw largely enthusiastic participation by the Valley.

Five years ago, even before the August 5, 2019, changes in J&K’s special status, the Centre had cracked down on the separatist leadership in Kashmir. While Jamaat-e-Islami, Dukhtaran-e-Millat (a women separatist organisation) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front were banned, the entire top separatist leadership barring a few were imprisoned. Many were sent to jails outside J&K.

Once Article 370 had been abrogated, the separatists found themselves squeezed to the margins, with the crackdown continuing against their support system. Mediapersons too found themselves at the receiving end of authorities if they carried statements by separatists.

If Mirwaiz spent four years in house detention, hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was not allowed to move out of his house till his death in September 2021, while Yasin Malik, Asiya Andrabi and Masarat Alam were charged under the UAPA and sent to Tihar in New Delhi, and continue to be incarcerated there.

Mirwaiz’s statements from the pulpit of Jamia Masjid now, as well as through press statements and interviews to national and international media, are a breaking of this separatist silence. In the past few days, the socio-religious leader has advocated “peaceful resolution” of the Kashmir issue, and has also said that the Hurriyat is “always ready to engage” with New Delhi.

This easing of the pressure on separatist leaders coincides with the Modi government working to ease tensions along its borders. While India and China have made a breakthrough on the standoff over the Line of Actual Control, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting is being seen as a new start.

On whether there was a change, a senior Hurriyat leader said: “I guess we will have to wait to see how the situation develops after the cooling off of India-China border tensions. It is too early to predict how things will move.”

Asked about the developments, senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Naeem Akhtar said: “It is getting interesting, one has to wait and watch… Common sense encourages one to think there is some forward movement. But given that India’s strategic interests are subservient to internal politics, one needs to be optimistic.”

National Conference chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said they have always advocated dialogue. “Anything that contributes to peace in J&K is always welcome… We have always advocated dialogue, firmly believing that any resolution, no matter how challenging, can only be achieved through open and constructive conversation… However, if these meetings (of the Hurriyat) have suddenly started, only those involved can explain why they were silent until now.”