Education and ‘Barbarism’ can’t go together; Geelani to Sinha-led delegation

Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani on Thursday said examinations cannot be held in the prevailing situation in Kashmir, arguing “if the authorities are really concerned about education, they should release all people including students and withdraw cases against them to help in creating a conducive and peaceful atmosphere.”
A Hurriyat (G) spokesperson said Geelani was interacting with the visiting delegation from New Delhi which called on him at his Hyderpora residence this morning.

“The delegation stressed upon the issue of education and were of the opinion that students should not lose one complete academic year and government authorities are also worried about it. Geelani Sahab told the delegation that we have already said and today we repeat that no sane person can oppose or deny the importance of education,” the Hurriyat spokesperson said.
Geelani told the team that “we believe that education is one of the basic necessities for not only nation building but for the individual himself as well.”
“It is only the light of education by which one can know his Creator and himself. But at the same time this fact can’t also be ignored and denied that education can only thrive in a calm, peaceful and dignified atmosphere, as mere attending the school may sooth the eyes of perpetrators and their jingoistic media may capture them in their lenses to portray an illusionary breakthrough, but these innocent kids will be far from getting their education as they are mentally and psychologically disturbed and terrified,” he said.

He said ensuring peace and calm is the constitutional responsibility of those holding “reins of power with lakhs of armed forces, police and paramilitary muscle in addition to the bureaucratic authority supported by legal tools.”
“It is ironical that these so-called authoritative voices knock the doors of common and innocent people who are at the receiving end of their aggression and are killed, butchered, maimed, humiliated and crushed by none other than these so-called “peace seekers”,” he said.
“These stooges after this widespread death, destruction and darkening our youth for whole of their life, they continue to harass them, put them in notorious interrogation centers where they are being beastly treated. They plug their hair, burn their sensitive parts with gas lighters and beat them to pulp. All this mayhem and ruthless dance of death has never shaken their sold out conscience and forced them to at least condole and feel sorry for this barbarism. But ‘education’ is their prime concern and the expected loss of one academic year of students gives them sleepless nights. This is only to befool the people and safeguard their own ministerial berths,” the Hurriyat (G) chairman told the delegation, according to the spokesperson.
“How can a student wholeheartedly attend his school when his close relatives, father, brother, cousin, friends, neighbours and classmates are the worst sufferers of the state-terrorism and are either in the graveyard, or admitted in hospitals, or slapped with PSAs or tortured in police stations and interrogation centers?” Geelani asked the delegation.
“If the authorities are really concerned and bothered about the education, they should release all people including students, withdraw the cases against them, stop police vigil, put an end to the barbarism, night raids and allow peaceful demonstrations which will help in creating a conducive and peaceful atmosphere. Exams can be deferred so that students can get time to prepare and prove their worth on their own. It should be followed by concrete measures to address the root cause and “mother of all evils” – the illegal and forced India’s forcible control. Otherwise beating the drum of education is nothing but mockery and imperialistic designs to strengthen this unwanted forcible control,” Geelani told the delegation.