Burhan haunts Indian establishment even after his death: JRL
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) Saturday said that the paranoia and panic that has gripped the state on the maiden martyrdom anniversary of slain Hizb commander Burhan Wani is an acknowledgment that even his memory lives in every Kashmiris heart as a symbol of resistance and courage.
“The slain Hizb commander still continues as a threat to the mighty Indian state despite its huge military control,” the JRL added.
The leadership including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, in a joint statement issued here said that ‘curfews and restrictions across the Valley, blanket ban and gags on communication channels and networks suspension of rail links closing of highways deployment of additional forces at every nook and corner of the valley, arbitrary arrests and detentions, raids on homes and harassment to people and all other measures to prevent people from paying homage to the martyr and his associates completely exposes the fear of the oppressor in the face of people’s revolt and resistance to its forcible control’.
“It also shows that however mighty and resourceful a state may be, it can only suppress people struggling for freedom and justice physically, but can never crush their spirit and aspirations,” they said.
JRL said that today “while we pay homage to Burhan and his associates we also remember the great sacrifices of 125 civilians, mostly children and old men and women murdered in cold blood by the Indian forces last year, the thousands blinded and maimed by bullets and pellets, the tens of thousands arrested and jailed, tortured, abused and those hundreds of people whose livelihood and properties were destroyed and damaged.”
The leadership said that people are being collectively punished by a mighty regime that has declared Kashmir a “war zone “where all human rights of its citizens cease to exist, for daring to demand their fundamental political right.
“So people are being taught a lesson in subservience through use of brute force,” they said.
The leadership said that this approach of the state is flawed and will never succeed in pushing people away from striving for the fulfillment of their political aspirations. “People’s commitment has stood the test of time. If people could not get dissuaded from it in the past seventy years and the fourth generation of Kashmiri has got associated with it more forcefully and emotionally, why will repression work now,” questioned the JRL.
JRL said that those in power in New Delhi may in their arrogance consider themselves invincible but they need to remember that every pride hath a fall and truth and justice finally prevail.
“The way to peace is not through might but through doing what is right and that is to stop repression and give people the right to decide their destiny through the democratic right to self determination,” JRL said.
The leadership thanked the people of Chinab Valley including Baderwah, Kishtwar and Banihal for observing a strike on slain Hizb commander Burhan’s anniversary.
“The people there have shown solidarity with the people of Kashmir in the joint struggle against occupation,” the statement added.
KV Correspondent
