Time to address ‘Weaknesses at Internal Level’: Mirwaiz on Kashmir Uprising

‘United leadership mulling long-term protest program, can’t go for hartals throughout the year’

Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Sunday said the recent five-month-long uprising in Kashmir has showed people and pro-freedom leaders how to “defeat” moves aimed at changing the Muslim majority character of J&K. He also said it is time to reach out to victims of forces’ action and go for introspection to “overcome the weaknesses” so that Kashmir can “emerge as a strong nation to combat politics of deceit.”
Addressing a Seerat Conference organised by Awami Action Committee (AAC) at Mirwaiz Manzil in Rajouri Kadal area of old Srinagar, Mirwaiz said the past five months of uprising in Kashmir “threw up many lessons for the leadership.”

“We salute the resilience of people who remained steadfast despite the worst forms of oppression unleashed on them. Today, we are in a situation where there are a large number of victims who need to be taken care of,” Mirwaiz. “We should not leave the victims, who were blinded by pellets or injured during pro-freedom protests, to fend for themselves. We have some weaknesses at the internal level, which needs to be checked and addressed.”
He said people of Kashmir have given priceless sacrifices over the past 25 years. “In just past five months, more than 15000 people were injured and over 1100 of them being hit by pellets in their eyes. More than 13000 were detained with many of them slapped with Public Safety Act,” he said.
Quoting Quranic verses and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Mirwaiz said Islam teaches unity and calls for taking care of poor and needy. “It’s time for all of us to introspect and to pinpoint weaknesses so that we would overcome them and emerge as a strong nation,” he said.

Mirwaiz said that “we need to make our Prophet (SAW) as our role model for achieving our goals.”
Referring to recent moves of issuance of “domicile” certificates to West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs), Mirwaiz said people and the leadership are ready to face every challenge posed by New Delhi. “We will confront those who want to change J&K’s Muslim character,” he said. “Issues like Sainik colonies, New Industrial Policy and separate townships for Kashmiri Pandits are designs of the government to break the will of Kashmiris. We will oppose these moves tooth and nail.
He said sacrifices offered by the people of Kashmir won’t go waste and the leadership will put in its best efforts to protect them. He said united leadership is working on a proposal to give long term protest programs. “We are in touch with various sections of the society. We can’t have hartals throughout the year. Deliberations are on to shift from short term agitations to long-terms agitation modes,” he said.
From the Hurriyat Conference (G) Peer Saifulah also spoke on the occasion and stressed on maintaining unity. “Victory is the ultimate destination of people but for that, unity is a must. We need to follow the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and leave rest to Almighty Allah,” he said.
Senior Hurriyat (M) leader Moulana Abbas Ansari also spoke on the occasion.
AAC leaders Muhammad Shafi Khan, Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, Moulvi Yaqoob Masoodi, Advocate Nazir Ahmad Ronga, Advocate Yasir Ahmad Dalaal, Peer Ghulam Nabi, Farooq Ahmad Saudagar and dozens of other office bearers of AAC also participated in the Seerat conference. From Muslim Conference, Abdur Rashid Untoo attended it.
The conference was moderated by Hurriyat (M) leader Syed Rehman.