Srinagar: On the culmination of the last phase of ULB polls ,Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik said that by government of India’s own admission 95% people’s rejection of these so called “elections”, forced upon them by the Indian state authorities was a clear indication that the “alienation of people of Kashmir from India is complete.”
The JRL said that leadership deeply appreciates and commends people for the political maturity and commitment to the cause of “self determination” shown by them in a comprehensive boycott of the “sham so-called election “.
“The people of Kashmir have send a clear message to the Indian state,” they said, adding If Government of India always projected to people in India and the outside world , a good percentage of participation of Kashmiri people in its so called “elections “as an endorsement of India’s rule, by the same yardstick GOI should now accept people’s near total boycott of them as a referendum against it.
The JRL said that the “coercive and harassing exercise of so called elections “, where candidates, polling areas and even polling stations were undisclosed by the ruling authorities , where scores of secret candidates were chosen “unopposed” was mainly carried out at this time , to help the BJP in its electoral prospects in India next year and to thrust the party on people of the Kashmir .
They said that by rejecting them, people of Kashmir have conveyed that since 1947 being under “forcible Indian control, so called elections have made no difference to them as directly or indirectly through pro India regional parties”, it is government of India which rules them and whose writ runs here.
“In reality it is Indian military might that rules here whose consequence is severe repression and coercion in people. In such situations democratic processes lose all credibility and carry no meaning and are reduced to a farce.”
JRL reiterated that J&K is a “dispute” and its people are asking for its resolution. “They are not interested in selection or election and no election can ever be a substitute for that resolution or a way to it.”
GOI, they said, should accept this fact and work towards the resolution of the conflict as per the democratic principle of people’s aspirations and will.
JRL also expressed serious concern over the “sedition” charges levelled against three Kashmiri students in Aligarh Muslim University over planning nimaz-e-jinaza prayers for Manan Wani and the atmosphere of fear and intimidation being created for Kashmiri students. Quoting from a letter in print by Kashmiri students of AMU who said that “more and more students are being named and framed with fake charges”, JRL said that it is very unfortunate and deeply disturbing that Kashmir students studying in India are being targeted. The JRL demanded that the concerned authorities should put a stop to the harassment and drop the charges of sedition against the students.
