Srinagar, Mar 11: Back from New Delhi after his stay for almost three-months, Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Wednesday justified strike calls and blamed the state for forcing Kashmiris to go for Hartals. The veteran leader, however, opposed stone-pelting.
“We don’t want to call strikes, but we have no other option to express our anger against the brutalities committed by the police and the troops. When peaceful protesters are being killed on roads, what else can we do than observing strikes to highlight the atrocities of troops,” Geelani told a gathering at Hyderpora after his return from Delhi.
Blaming the government for forcing Kashmiris to observe strikes, Geelani said: “It is police, para-military forces and the Army who force Kashmiris to observe strikes as they kill innocents, damage properties and arrest people.”
However, the Hurriyat chairman opposed the stone pelting. “Don’t use stones during peaceful protest. It gives bad name to our movement,” he said.
Quoting recent tragic incident, where a 10-day-old infant was killed during clashes in Varmul, he said, “Though Bar Association report has cleared that the infant died due to pneumonia, still such incidents shouldn’t have happened. It gave Indian media a chance to defame the movement. They never write about killings by police and the troops.”
Lashing out at the National Conference government, Geelani said, “The present family rule is worse than the rule of Hari Singh’s family. They (Sheikh family) is only after power and can go to any extent for the same. When we call for strike against the human rights violations, they say it will harm the education of children. But in reality they are only bothered about power, not the future of Kashmiri nation.”
“I want to ask the puppet government on what reasons Masarat Alam, Ashraf Sehrai, (Ghulam Nabi) Sumji, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan and other pro-freedom leaders and activists have been jailed? What is their sin? They are fighting for right to self-determination,” he added.
On last year’s Shopian agitation, Geelani said, “One of the ministers of puppet government had said that they would bring the culprits of the Shopian tragedy to book within 48-hours. But 10-months have passed no action has been taken. The CBI probe in the incident is a bundle of lies.”
The Hurriyat chairman said that India can’t hold Kashmir for long. “At global level, situation is such that India has to leave Kashmir soon. But we have to show steadfastness and be disciplined.”
Asking the people to hold peaceful demonstrations after Friday prayers tomorrow, he said, “Don’t throw stones and desist from raising any provocative slogans. You have to take an oath that it would be peaceful.”
On his future programmes, Geelani said he would be visiting Sopur, where over a dozen houses were destroyed in an encounter between militants and troops recently. He will also visit families of those killed in protest rallies during recent months.
Geelani said that they were against terrorism in whatever form. “The state terrorism of US, Israel and India is dangerous for humanity.”
He appealed the people to establish Bait-ul-Maal in every mohalla to help needy. “It is need of the hour,” he added.
Meanwhile, according to Hurriyat (G) spokesman Geelani went underground after addressing people at Hyderpora.
“When Geelani in a procession was on his way to Zahid Farooq’s residence, police intercepted him near Shivpora and more than a dozen activists accompanying were arrested. However, Geelani gave slip to the police and managed to flee from the spot. He will address the people in Sopur tomorrow,” he said.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 IST