Srinagar, Apr 6: Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Wednesday appealed to the people to boycott the upcoming Panchayat polls saying New Delhi was trying to “hoodwink” the international community about the Kashmir dispute through elections.
 In a statement, Geelani said since 1947 elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir. “Many times the polls were held purely for administrative issues. We also participated in the elections. But from our experience we learnt that elections are only to mislead the international community about Kashmir dispute and India only speaks language of gun in Kashmir,” he said. 
 Elaborating, Geelani said after 40 years in 1987, Kashmiris had to take another route for their struggle and thousands of people sacrificed their lives for the cause.
 “Now useless exercise like elections can’t be substitute for right to self determination. At a time when India has increased the strength of its soldiers from 8 to 10 lakh in the State, under such circumstances no election can be termed as democratic process,”
 Making a fervent appeal to the Kashmiris to boycott the polls, Geelani said, “though nobody will become Indian after voting, but at international forums New Delhi portrays it in a wrong way that Kashmiris are satisfied with Indian rule. Though I am aware about the civic problems of the people, but they should understand that for attaining right to self-determination they have to offer sacrifices for prosperous future of the next generations” he said.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 6 Apr 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 6 Apr 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 7 Apr 2011 00:00:00 IST