KV Correspondent

JRL denounces curbs to foil ‘rally’

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Srinagar: Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) Friday denounced the ruling regime for once again resorting to use of unbridled force to bar the leadership and people from marching to Islamabad and convening a peaceful rally at Lal Chowk. The rally was meant to express solidarity with the people of South Kashmir.

JRL comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik in a statement said that while the entire Islamabad town was barricaded and turned into a military garrison and communication lines snapped, many parts of Srinagar city were put under curfew and restrictions were imposed besides caging resistance leadership and activists through raids and arrests.

JRL said that as part of its crackdown on the resistance leadership and activists, the government arrested dozens of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF leaders and activists in day long nocturnal raids.

Reports said that while Syed Ali Geelani continued to remain under house arrest and JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik remained lodged in Central Jail, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman, who was house arrest since Dec 08 defied the curbs and broke the cordon laid by the police outside his Nigeen residence, however, he wasn’t allowed to proceed towards Islamabad and lodged at SPs office at Hazratbal

Meanwhile, the leadership said that police continued to conduct nocturnal and day-long raids on the houses of hundreds of youth in Srinagar and Islamabad only to instill fear among the minds of people and to scuttle the plans of Islamabad march.

The JRL said that imposition of strict curfews, caging resistance leaders and conducting raids and blocking all the roads reflects the acceptance of defeat by the authorities as it signifies their nervousness and fear of exposure just on the call of peaceful rallies given by the resistance camp.

Talking to media persons present outside his residence before his arrest, Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq strongly condemned the present dispensations for forcibly disallowing the peaceful march call by JRL to Islamabad.

He said repeated curbs restrictions, arrests and detentions of leadership and activists is 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 that as all are aware the 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 our youth have been killed including those in the infamous operation “all out “while even children and women are not spared. Recently young Misra Bano mother of an infant was brutally killed during operation all out. Due to this anti Kashmir operation every second day CASO is 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 added.

Mirwaiz said “not even once have we been allowed to visit there to reach out and sympathize 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.”

He said this dictatorial approach of those in power and their stooges is 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,” he said.

Mirwaiz said by disallowing the rally government has conceded its defeat.

He said “the resilient people of the state and the leadership will not cow under these dictatorial and repressive measures and will peacefully continue to strive for our birth right of self determination.”

“We salute the brave and courageous people of South Kashmir and extend our full support to them as we stand with them in all that they are being subject to and pray for their safety,” he said.

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.


KV Correspondent

Kashmir Correspondent cover all daily updates for the newspaper

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