Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani Thursday rejected talks offer with India by an IB official and termed all these attempts as futile. “It is nothing more than a tactic to buy time by New Delhi,” Geelani said as per Chief Spokesperson G A Gulzar in a statement issued here.
He disclosed that on Thursday night an IB official proposed a dialogue between New Delhi and Syed Ali Geelani. “However he (Geelani) refused to talk.” Geelani said Kashmir dispute has to be addressed in its historical perspective and asked India to acknowledge the disputed status of the Kashmir and begin demilitarization to hold a referendum.
Geelani made it clear that Kashmir issue has turned into a flash point and unless India accepts its disputed nature, no progress was expected and horrors of war will haunt people living in sub-continent. He said that people of J&K are peace-loving, and Indian leaders can play a key role in resolving the issue by respecting their aspirations, instead of adopting coercive measures.
“They should shun fanatical politics because the need of the hour is to acknowledge the ground realities of the long-pending Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” Syed Ali Geelani said to IB official.
“Kashmiri people have never accepted or acknowledged the forced occupation of India and they are at war with this country (India) for the past seven decades,” Geelani was quoted as having told the IB official. “We time and again demanded that people should be allowed to express their aspiration about political future and destiny of state,” Geelani said.
The octogenarian addressing IB official said that to continue its “forced military occupation”, India was not only inflicting “worst oppression and atrocities upon the Kashmiri nation but this country is supressing our youth and killing them on mere pretext.”
“Since past seven decades hundreds and thousands of people were mercilessly killed by Indian forces and lakhs of people were forced to migrate while as hundreds are languishing in detention centres and in jails,” Geelani said, adding, “It is horrific to see thousands of those maimed with pellets and other lethal weapons, Geelani explained to IB official and added that those disappeared in forces custody figure more than eight thousand.”
Referring about the situation arising due to “atrocities perpetrated by brute forces”, Geelani said that how can “we forget thousands of those widows and orphans.”
“The volatile situation in Jammu and Kashmir was a natural reaction against India’s stubborn attitude”, Geelani said, adding that Delhi was desperately trying to impose its verdict on the state through “military might.”
Geelani lamented India leadership for their callous approach, saying that instead of adopting the political and sane approach they are following their “coercive measures and carrying bloodshed to cow down our political aspirations.”
“I, with a sincere heart, want to convey that we are yearning for peace and seek peaceful resolution to the long- pending (Kashmir) issue,” Geelani said and adding, “we are not against the dialogue process, but we favour only meaningful and result-oriented negotiations. We have a clear agenda and our viewpoint is unambiguous. The issue can be resolved through dialogue.” Geelani said more than 150 rounds of bilateral negotiations yielded no results because India never illustrated ‘sincerity’.
“For any Kashmiri to be part of this futile exercise will only undermine our internationally acknowledged legitimate and just struggle, nourished by the blood of our martyrs and great sacrifices and hardships rendered by the masses,” Geelani said.
Addressing intelligence officer, Geelani said that it was very unfortunate that tall claims of Indian leadership about being a largest democracy, was nothing but hoax, as political and its army leadership are following “fascist” mindset. “It is extremely unwise to deny political space and muzzle genuine voices, saying people and leadership are reeling under emergency and martial law like situations.”
He said lawlessness was at its peak as “there is rampant use of black laws like POTA, AFSPA and they have become the order of the day.” “The NIA during its raids arrested resistance leadership on fabricated charges and detained them in Tihar jail. The detainees in Tihar and other jails are meted out will inhuman and harsh treatment and denied basic amenities as guaranteed in UN charter,” said Geelani.
He made it clear that under such indifferent, apathetic and appalling situation no talks will prove fruitful and result oriented, “hence it is responsibility of Indian leadership to prepare conducive atmosphere for talks between all its stakeholders including Pakistan.”
