Police foils JRL’s move to organize seminar on HR abuses
Srinagar: After the authorities foiled a seminar organised by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on the human rights violations in Kashmir, the pro-freedom leaders on Saturday termed the governments ‘tall claims’ about democracy as ‘hoax’.
According to a statement issued here, the JRL said that Police today disallowed a seminar and arrested several leaders during their raids.
JRL comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik termed the government action as “state terrorism”, saying that at a time when the world was observing Human Rights Day, the administration in Kashmir is reluctant to allow peaceful programmes like seminars organised to discuss the massive violations of human rights.
The seminar titled “human rights violations and criminal silence maintained by international community’’ was supposed to be attended by resistance leadership including prominent speakers and scholars, who were invited by Joint leadership to share their views on the topic.
The statement said that since Saturday morning, all the roads leading to the venue in Hyderpora locality on the outskirts of Srinagar, were blocked by police personnel where many activists and journalists were turned away.
Police placed Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Dr Umer Farooq under house arrest while as police raided residence of Mohammad Yasin Malik.
“In the morning, a heavy contingent of police was deployed outside Geelani’s Hyderpora residence — the venue for the seminar and they also put several Hurriyat leaders under house detention to foil the seminar,” the statement said.
The leadership termed the government action as “state terrorism”, saying it has proved that their tall claims about democracy are hoax.
The joint leadership said that although UNO has formulated a charter in 1947 to safeguard basic rights pertaining to nations, however this institution failed to provide and secure these cherished rights.
Referring to atrocities perpetrated by ‘Indian rulers and forces’, the JRL said that till now more than two lakh people were brutally killed, however it is unfortunate that UNO failed to play its role besides failing to halt the ongoing bloodshed in the state.
They said that “it is India that took the issue of J and K to UNO and pledged to ascertain the aspirations of people of the state through plebiscite but denied and through coercive tactics continues its illogical and unconstitutional occupation.”
Referring to the ‘horrendous situations’ and unabated human rights violations, the joint leadership said that people in the state are striving for its just rights which the Indian state has dealt with by martyring tens and thousands of Kashmiris, subjecting over ten thousand people to enforced disappearances, seven thousand women molested, burying thousands in unmarked graves, hundreds blinded, thousands maimed, damaging property worth billions, harassing people, torturing youth with third degree methods in interrogation centres, oppression and suppression, arrests and detentions, restrictions, and custodial killings.
They said that people, political leaders are detained, caged and PSA slapped without applying any sense and any logic.
The leadership impressed upon world body, UN to take cognizance of worsening situations in the state and facilitate the situation for seeking people’s verdict with regards to their political destiny.
The leadership however, said that it is quite sad that instead of obliging its duty the member countries affiliated with UNO are taking their business interests into consideration, ignoring the grave situation resulted out of forced occupation.
Blaming UNO for chaos and uncertainty in Palestine, Jammu and Kashmir, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and other parts of world, the JRL said that in order to regain its credibility this institution has to review its policies, fulfill its obligations and resolve all issues pertaining to subjugated nations.
JRL reiterated their call for a complete shutdown and blackout on December 10 in view of International Human Rights Day.
The leadership in a press statement said, “On Dec 10, the International Human Rights Day, Kashmiris will observe a complete shut down and blackout against gross human rights violations in the Kashmir valley.”
They said that a protest rally will also be taken out from Lal Chowk towards UN Observers’ Office at Sonwar and instructed the people to join the peaceful march.
KV Correspondent
