Srinagar, Sep 5: A day after the government accused the Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani of disrupting peace by giving provocative speeches, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, on Monday blamed Geelani for instigating stone pelting.
"The youth who were arrested till I announced amnesty (on August 28), their cases are being withdrawn. After that wherever stone pelting has happened it is not me who is responsible but those who went to those places and then stone pelting took place," Omar said in an apparent reference to Geelani.
Without naming any separatist leader directly, Omar said, “Some people are playing with the future of youngsters. They are trying to use youth for their vested interests,” he added.
Pertinently, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on last Sunday had announced withdrawal of ‘all cases and charges’ against youth involved in at least 1200 cases of stone-pelting in Kashmir.
The Chief Minister claimed that he had recommended New Delhi to provide passport to Hurriyat (G) Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
 "Some time back, we had heard from Geelani that he wanted a passport. I had conveyed it to the Centre that he should not be stopped," he added.
Earlier, addressing the teachers and students, Omar said cabinet sub-committee is studying the recommendations of the Finance Minister on agreeing to some of the demands of the employees. “The platform of interaction is available. The government and representatives of JCC are talking to resolve the issues”, he said
Asking employees to leave the path confrontation and negotiate with the government over their demands, Omar said, “We understand your (employees) problems, but you should also comprehend our exigencies,”
Omar said coalition government led by him wouldn’t turn a blind eye towards the genuine demands of the teachers and he would ask his education minister to find solution to their problems.
“My government wants to redress the grievances of the teachers so they don’t face any hurdle in providing quality education to youngsters. Even, if there is need of taking their issues to the cabinet, I will get them cleared,” he added.
Omar said teaching community should fulfil their duties “whatever the situation may be” as the academic loss cannot be compensated.
“The situation of the last year had an adverse impact on the students and they have begun to feel the repercussions of the last year’s irreparable loss,” he added.
Asking separatists to keep health and education away from the conflict, Omar said, “We can neither cure the patients of the last year nor can we teach the lessons of previous year to the students, this time,” he said, adding that developmental works can wait.
“We macadamized the roads, provided water supply and installed transformers which we couldn’t do the last year due to unrest,” he said. “I request separatists to keep the education away from the conflict. We cannot bring teachers, medicos and engineers from outside even if boundaries are changed.”
The Chief Minister on the occasion also rewarded the teachers and position holder students of the previous years.
Education Minister Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed, Commissioner  Secretary Education Naseem Lankar, Director School Education Shagufta Praveen, President  of Employees Joint Action Committee (Q) Abdul Qayoom Wani also spoke on the occasion.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 5 Sep 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 5 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST