In a significant turn of events, the daughters of prominent Kashmir separatist figures Shabir Ahmad Shah and Syed Ali Shah Geelani have publicly renounced separatist ideologies and affirmed their allegiance to the sovereignty of the Union of India. Ruwa Shah, granddaughter of Geelani, and Sama Shabir, daughter of Shabir Ahmad Shah, issued identical public notices published in local newspapers, distancing themselves from separatist politics and organizations.
Ruwa Shah, disassociating herself from her late grandfather’s Hurriyat Conference faction, declared her loyalty to India and the Constitution, emphasizing her lack of sympathy towards separatist ideologies. Similarly, Sama Shabir, a former CBSE topper in Kashmir, emphasized her status as a loyal Indian citizen in a separate notice.
She unequivocally distanced herself from her father’s banned separatist organization and cautioned against any unauthorized association with it. Shabir Ahmad Shah, currently in Tihar Jail on money laundering and terror funding charges, was arrested in 2017 by the Enforcement Directorate.
The case, involving alleged terror financing activities dating back to 2005, has seen legal actions against his family members. Both Ruwa Shah and Sama Shabir’s public declarations mark a significant shift in their family legacies and signal a departure from the separatist narratives that have long dominated Kashmiri politics.
