Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, one of the three members of Joint Resistance Leadership, on Friday said that government’s opt-repeated claims about believing in democratic values do not match its actions.
“Government makes opt-repeated claims about upholding democratic rights and values but if (it) believes in democracy, why can’t we put across our word,” Mirwaiz told reports minutes before arrested.
Mirwaiz strongly condemned the present dispensations for forcibly disallowing the peaceful march call by JRL, also comprising Syed Ali Geelani and Mohammad Yasin Malik at Anantnag. He said repeated restrictions, arrests and detentions of leadership and activists was a classic case of “colonial attitude like that of the British against the occupied people of the subcontinent with the help of local stooges.” “The only difference is that it’s far worse and harsher than that and more sinister,” Mirwaiz said.
He said people of south Kashmir have suffered immensely since middle of last year and continue to bear the severe brunt of “occupation”. “Hundreds of people mostly youth have been killed including those in the infamous operation ‘all out’ while even children and women are not spared.”
Recently, he said, a young Misra Bano, mother of an infant, was “brutally killed during operation all out.”
“Due to anti-Kashmir operation every second day CASO was launched in some area or other and people are “tormented and harassed and when they protest it they are fired upon killed, injured or arrested.”
“Homes are broken into and vandalised and inmates beaten up. All records of oppression against the people in south have been broken,” he said, adding, “Not even once we have been allowed to visit there to reach out and sympathise and express our support for the hapless and suffering but brave people of South Kashmir. Any attempt to do so is thwarted.”
“We are constantly caged and arrested and restrictions and curbs put in place. Even when we want to protest these repressive measures here it is not allowed.”
Mirwaiz said this “dictatorial” approach of those in power and their stooges was highly condemnable. “It completely exposes every claim to anything remotely connected with democracy or right to expression that those in power in New Delhi and their local stooges often claim in press and media.” Mirwaiz said by disallowing the rally government has conceded its defeat.
Mirwaiz said the resilient people of the state and the leadership will not cower under these “dictatorial and repressive measures and will peacefully continue to strive for our birth right of self determination.”
Mirwaiz also strongly denounced the barring of Friday prayers for the 18 the time at historic Jamia Masjid.
He said preventing people from reaching Jamia won’t be tolerated in future and the move will be “resisted tooth and nail.”
