Yasin Malik The ‘Gandhian’ Terrorist

Its often said that ‘one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’. It’s a contentious view but it’s a cliché that can often blur the reality. Take the case of Yasin Malik, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front leader who was sentenced to life imprisonment this week in a case of terror funding. How do we introduce Yasin Malik is a question that has often troubled journalists and scholars. Is he a separatist whose organization has openly echoed the call for ‘azaadi’ for Jammu and Kashmir; is he a terrorist who has participated and engaged in violence against non combatants?