Kulgam, May 10: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Thursday ruled out split in the Hurriyat Conference (M) saying a conglomerate was bound to have difference of opinion.
“Hurriyat is not a single entity but a coalition of different parties and it may sound at times that we are speaking in different voices. In every democratic forum there are bound to be difference of opinion but that does not in any way imply that Hurriyat is going to break. The only thing that matters is that each and every constituent of Hurriyat is committed to the cause,” Mirwaiz said while addressing a delegates’ meet organized by Peoples Conference in this South Kashmir district.
Mirwaiz said that everyone in the Hurriyat has sacrifices at his back and they won’t let them go waste. “Each and every Kashmiri has offered unflinching sacrifices for the freedom movement and every Hurriyat member has his own share of sacrifices. So we are committed to our cause and won’t betray our people.”
Citing the example of Peoples Conference Chairman, Bilal Gani Lone, Mirwaiz said that his father Late Abdul Gani Lone preferred to join freedom movement rather than sitting in the corridors of power and later sacrificed his life for the cause.
Mirwaiz castigated Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on his statement that he was ready to face the separatists in elections.
“The mainstream parties should bear in mind that we are not for power like them but are only committed to our cause which is finding solution to the Kashmir issue acceptable to the people,” Mirwaiz said.
He said that they have already proved their representative character by representing the aspirations and sentiments of Kashmiris.
“If at all they are keen to see our representative character, India should withdraw its forces from the state and then conduct a referendum under the supervision of United Nations or European Union,” said Mirwaiz.
Mirwaiz said that the Hurriyat Constitution clearly states that elections under the auspices of Indian Constitution cannot be alternative to the resolution of Kashmir dispute.
“People have not offered sacrifices for governance but for freedom and the elections cannot ease the pain and agony they have gone through,” he said.
Mirwaiz said that on one hand India accepts that Kashmir is a political issue but on the other hand they by the dint of military might try to muzzle the voices of dissent.
“The pro-freedom people are not given political space and restrictions are imposed on their movement,” said Mirwaiz.
Referring to the Middle East uprising, Mirwaiz said, “History bears testimony that in its fight against oppression and falsehood truth always prevails,” he said.
Condemning the police action on government employees, Mirwaiz urged the latter to concentrate on their duties also.
“We strongly condemn the use of unwarranted force against the government employees. Though the demands of the employees are genuine but at the same time it seems that the employees are laying too much focus on rights and forgetting about their duties,” Mirwaiz said.
Mirwaiz said that government employees have an important role in the society and they should also work together to improve work ethics and wipe out the menace of corruption from the state.
“The employees unions should launch a sustained campaign to root out corruption prevalent in government departments besides improving work culture in the offices and devote themselves to the service of the public,” Mirwaiz said.

NAYEEM KHAN, SHABIR SHAH UNDER HOUSE ARREST
A spokesman of National Front said that Police on Thursday morning cordoned off the residence of the NF Chairman Nayeem Ahmed Khan and informed him that he cannot move out.
Khan, according to the spokesman, was scheduled to attend the gathering organized by Hurriyat (M) at Kulgam in south Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Police also placed the chairman of Democratic Freedom Party Shabir Ahmed Shah under house arrest this morning, a DFP spokesman said. “He was about to leave for Kulgam when police team arrived and informed him that he cannot move out.”

Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 IST