Mirwaiz Farooq Urges GoI: Relax Iron Fist Policy, Embrace Dialogue for Kashmir Solution

Urging the Centre to relax its iron fist approach, Mirwaiz said the government should rethink its policy and release a large number of youth, who have been jailed.

The Hurriyat Conference chairman and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in his first media talk since his release from house detention in September last year said on Friday the Government of India (GoI) should relax its iron first policy on Kashmir and adopt humane and realistic approach to move forward for finding solution to Kashmir issue through dialogue.

“After four weeks, I was allowed to offer Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid. It is a very unfortunate policy of the government that I don’t know why I am in detention and when I am free ,” Mirwaiz told reporters after offering Friday payers at Jamia Masjid.

It was his first media talk about being freed from over four years of house detention in September last year.

Mirwaiz, who gave Friday sermon in Jamia, said they hope this policy will end and they will be given the right to put forth their viewpoint. “If they think that by adopting these means, we will not speak about the issue they are wrong. Our’s is a principled stand,” he said.

Referring to Lok Sabha polls, Mirwaiz said the new government is coming to New Delhi in the next few days and “we hope that the new government will take initiatives that will lead to lasting peace and solution of the Kashmir issue”.

Pitching for dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue, he said, “Hurriyat Conference and its leadership has always reiterated that it wants resolution of the issue through dialogue. We always believe that the Kashmir issue must be resolved through dialogue for everlasting peace in J&K”.

“We have suffered for advocating it. We faced attacks but we did not give up our principled stand. We hope that GoI will change its Kashmir policy and adopt a humanistic and realistic approach to move forward and hold dialogue,” he said. “Let us hope the new government comes up with a positive Kashmir policy. If they walk one step, we will walk two steps”.

Urging the Centre to relax its iron fist approach, Mirwaiz said the government should rethink its policy and release a large number of youth, who have been jailed.

Asserting that they won’t come under any pressure, he said, “We are not afraid of FIRs. We have faced the FIRs in the past also”. “Our stand is clear. We don’t want war. We want a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. We don’t want bloodshed and we hope that time has come to move forward and find a solution to the issue through dialogue,” Mirwaiz said.

The Hurriyat leader said they don’t want the youth to be consumed in the conflict. “We want the Government of India and J&K government to show flexibility. We are not being allowed to move out freely. There should be no curbs on my movement and I should be allowed to carry out social, political and religious obligations”.

“People of J&K have first right on its resources, whether it be land, jobs, etc. It should not be denied on any pretext,” he added.