Separatist leader Shabir Shah: A political life between activism and detention

By Raqif Makhdoomi

A recent video on social media showed a young woman in a headscarf, visibly distressed, appealing to the Government of India for medical attention for her ailing father, Shabir Ahmed Shah. While her request drew both support and criticism online, it revived public attention on the long and controversial history of the separatist leader from Kashmir.

Shabir Ahmed Shah, born on 14 June 1953 in Kadipora, Anantnag (South Kashmir), comes from a business family. He completed his education up to higher secondary school. His political journey began early—he was first arrested at the age of 14 in 1968 for leading a protest against the government. During his early incarcerations, he came into contact with several like-minded political figures, including Nazir Ahmad Wani, Abdul Majid Pathan, and Altaf Khan (alias Azam Inquilabi). In 1974, while Shah was still in custody, his associates formed the Jammu Kashmir People's League to oppose the Indira-Abdullah Accord of 1975. Shah himself continued to be frequently arrested throughout the 1970s and 1980s under various charges related to protests, political dissent, and organizing demonstrations.

In 1998, Shah founded the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP), which advocated for the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. His party became part of the larger separatist political framework that challenged India’s position in the region.

Shabir Shah has spent a considerable part of his life in prison. His detentions span from the late 1960s to the present, involving multiple arrests and periods in both preventive and judicial custody. He was arrested again in 2017 and has remained in jail since 2020 under cases investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), including alleged involvement in terror funding. In 2024, he was granted bail in one such case but continued to be held in connection with others. In June 2025, the Delhi High Court rejected a plea for bail, citing the possibility of Shah tampering with witnesses.

At one point, Shah is reported to have played a role in facilitating electoral processes in Kashmir. According to former R&AW official A.S. Dulat in his book “Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years,” Shah acted as an intermediary during efforts to revive democratic participation in the region in the aftermath of political unrest and electoral disputes. Dulat recalls Shah cooperating with officials during his time in detention under the Vajpayee administration.

Shah’s family has appealed for his release on medical grounds, citing his advanced age (72) and deteriorating health. His supporters argue that humanitarian considerations should be taken into account. Comparisons have been drawn with other high-profile detainees who have received medical bail.

Shabir Shah’s life and political career have been marked by consistent advocacy for separatist politics in Kashmir and by long periods of detention. While his actions remain a subject of sharp debate, calls for his medical bail raise broader questions about human rights, legal precedent, and the treatment of political prisoners in India.

---

Raqif Makhdoomi is a law student and human rights activist

Comments

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C. In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar’s views on religion as Tagore’s saw them

By Harasankar Adhikari Religion has become a visible subject in India’s public discourse, particularly where it intersects with political debate. Recent events, including a mass Gita chanting programme in Kolkata and other incidents involving public expressions of faith, have drawn attention to how religion features in everyday life. These developments have raised questions about the relationship between modern technological progress and traditional religious practice.

Election bells ringing in Nepal: Can ousted premier Oli return to power?

By Nava Thakuria* Nepal is preparing for a national election necessitated by the collapse of KP Sharma Oli’s government at the height of a Gen Z rebellion (youth uprising) in September 2025. The polls are scheduled for 5 March. The Himalayan nation last conducted a general election in 2022, with the next polls originally due in 2027. However, following the dissolution of Nepal’s lower house of Parliament last year by President Ram Chandra Poudel, the electoral process began under the patronage of an interim government installed on 12 September under the leadership of retired Supreme Court judge Sushila Karki. The Hindu-majority nation of over 29 million people will witness more than 3,400 electoral candidates, including 390 women, representing 68 political parties as well as independents, vying for 165 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Gig workers hold online strike on republic day; nationwide protests planned on February 3

By A Representative Gig and platform service workers across the country observed a nationwide online strike on Republic Day, responding to a call given by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) to protest what it described as exploitation, insecurity and denial of basic worker rights in the platform economy. The union said women gig workers led the January 26 action by switching off their work apps as a mark of protest.

With infant mortality rate of 5, better than US, guarantee to live is 'alive' in Kerala

By Nabil Abdul Majeed, Nitheesh Narayanan In 1945, two years prior to India's independence, the current Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, was born into a working-class family in northern Kerala. He was his mother’s fourteenth child; of the thirteen siblings born before him, only two survived. His mother was an agricultural labourer and his father a toddy tapper. They belonged to a downtrodden caste, deemed untouchable under the Indian caste system.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb: Akbar to Shivaji -- the cross-cultural alliances that built India

By Ram Puniyani What is Indian culture? Is it purely Hindu, or a blend of many influences? Today, Hindu right-wing advocates of Hindutva claim that Indian culture is synonymous with Hindu culture, which supposedly resisted "Muslim invaders" for centuries. This debate resurfaced recently in Kolkata at a seminar titled "The Need to Protect Hinduism from Hindutva."

Report finds 28 communal riots, 14 mob lynching incidents targeting Muslims

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* A study released by the Mumbai-based Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), supported by data from India Hate Lab, documents incidents of violence and targeting of Muslims across India in 2025. The report compiles press accounts and fact-finding material to highlight broad trends in communal conflict, mob attacks, and hate speech.

Search This Blog