‘He stands for status quo and is befooling people by talking of Kashmir resolution’
Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani Wednesday accused Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed of “trying to befool people by talking of Kashmir resolution while working to maintain status quo on the issue.”
On his return to Kashmir from New Delhi after more than three months, Geelani was accorded a warm reception by his supporters. Amid pro-freedom slogans, the enthused supporters escorted the veteran leader in a rally from Srinagar Airport to his party headquarters at Hyderpora.
It took Geelani nearly two hours to traverse two kilometer stretch from Humhama to Hyderpora as the road was filled with his supporters—on foot, in motorcycles, buses and cars. Amid heavy rains, a large number of supporters wearing headgears and clothes displaying Geelani photographs jostled to reach the rally venue.
Police had made heavy deployment near Hyderpora crossing to “prevent any law and order situation.”
In his address, Geelani straightway trained guns on the Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. He said after assuming power, Mufti has been saying he will resolve Kashmir issue and take Pakistan and pro-freedom leadership on board.
“What solution do you have on Kashmir? Do you support the right to self-determination of Kashmiris? Are you against forcible control of Kashmir by Indian forces? Do you accept occupation of Kashmir by India?” Geelani asked Mufti.
“Actually, you talk about Kashmir dispute to befool people. The only solution to the likes of Mufti is status quo. We will tooth and nail resist status quo or making Line of Control a permanent diving line between two Kashmiris,” Geelani said as people reciprocated with pro-freedom slogans.
“Mufti Sayeed says Kashmir is crown of India. I want to tell him it is because of the presence of Indian troops that Kashmir has been forcibly crowned. I want to remind Mufti that India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had promised in LalChowk to recall the troops from Jammu and Kashmir and give Kashmiris their inalienable right to self-determination,” he said.
“However, India has been using suppressive tactics to deny Kashmiris this right guaranteed by the United Nations. Even if India will make roads of gold in Kashmir, it won’t motivate us to accept its forcible control,” he said.
On return of Kashmiri Pandits to Kashmir, Geelani said “they are always welcome to their motherland.”
“But we want them to permanently settle at their respective houses and not separate colonies or flats. Government of India has announced to grant each of them Rs 20 lakh for building houses in colonies. We say give them Rs 30 lakh but let them settle at their original places to maintain age old communal harmony in Valley,” he said.
Geelani accused RashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh (RSS) of “dividing people on communal lines.”
“It is the mindset of RSS and its allies to promote those people as leaders who have been instrumental in spreading communal hatred. Even RSS promoted NarendraModi as Prime Minister of India in whose regime, as Chief Minister of Gujarat, over 3,000 Muslims were massacred,” he said.
“As wrongly projected, Kashmiri Muslims are not communal. We want to take along people of Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir irrespective of their religion, in our struggle for right to self-determination. Kashmiris nurture no grudge for people of India and Pakistan but they must understand that Kashmir is not a border dispute between the two countries but concerns respect, identity and future of 13 million people. We reject Shimla Agreement and Lahore Declaration and demand plebiscite,” he said.
The Hurriyat (G) Chairman strongly condemned the killing of a youth Khalid Muzaffar by Army in Tral area of south Kashmir.
“Till complete demilitarization, no Kashmiri is safe. They would continue to face suppression by Indian troops to quell their sentiments for ongoing movement. Valiant Kashmiris have given more sacrifices and faced more JaliawalaBagh-like massacres than people of India did in their freedom struggle against British,” he said.
He reiterated the call for ‘TralChalo’ on Friday. “I appeal people to make it to Tral to protest the killing of Khalid and express sympathy with the bereaved family,” he said.
Geelani was flanked by senior party leader and Chairman of Muslim League MasaratAlam who made his first public appearance after release from jail after four years in March this year. Geelani appealed people to disperse peacefully.
“I appeal people to leave the venue peacefully. Discipline is important to take the movement to its logical conclusion,” he said.
As Geelani ended his address, people grew restive and demanded to see Alam who was sitting at rear side of the stage.
As Alam waved to the crowd, they reciprocated with pro-freedom slogans and some of them tried to climb up the stage.
While Geelani was escorted to his home, his enthused supporters, unfazed by heavy rains, vigorously responded to Alam’s pro-freedom slogans.
