Separatist leaders today paid tributes to Muhammad Maqbool Bhat and Muhammad Afzal Guru on their anniversaries, reiterating their demand for return of their mortal remains to Kashmir from Tihar jail in Delhi.
THEY ARE HEROES OF KASHMIRI NATION: GEELANI
“We reiterate our demand for the return of the mortal remains of both the martyrs who were buried in the Tihar Jail premises. Although it is purely a human issue, but India is very reluctant to this demand thereby violating all the principles of morality and constitution and in this way its claim of largest democracy in the world is getting badly exposed,” Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, in a statement today, said.
Geelani said, “Shaheed Muhammad Maqbool Bhat and Muhammad Afzal Guru are heroes of the Kashmiri nation and we are proud of them. Kashmiri nation is resisting the forced control of India for the last 70 years and during this period thousands of our valiant and bold people have sacrificed their precious lives for this cause but the Muhammad Maqbool Bhat and Shaheed Muhammad Afzal Guru are two separate cases among these who were detained, executed and buried in the same jail and in same month.”
“Maqbool Bhat has a special status in the freedom struggle of Kashmir and if he can be termed as the first solider of the struggle then Muhammad Afzal Guru’s last letter became a new milestone of the freedom struggle and set a new trend. His last letter clearly depicts that he was an ideological person and his emotions were having the backing of faith, intellect and conscience,” he said.
“They are source of inspiration for us and the best way of paying tributes to them is that the nation should not forget these brave sons of the soil, who had sacrificed their present for the future of the nation,” they said.
MAQBOOL BHAT SYMBOL OF FREEDOM : YASIN MALIK
Paying rich tributes to Muhammad Maqbool Butt on his anniversary, the incarcerated chairman of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) described him as “symbol of freedom and liberty”.
“Father of Kashmiri nation martyr Muhammad Maqbool Bhat is the corner stone of our resistance against forcible control and symbol of freedom and liberty. His struggle and sacrifices represent every oppressed and subjugated human. He was an ideologue, a warrior, a leader and an intellectual who led Kashmiris on all fronts, be it diplomatic front, armed front, political front or intellectual front,” a spokesman of the JKLF, in a statement today, quoted Yasin Malik as having said in message from Srinagar Central Jail.
Announcing various programs to be held on ‘Maqbool Day’ this year, Malik said various protest programs will be held across the globe on the occasion of Bhat’s 34th martyrdom anniversary.
“Kashmiris living throughout the world will observe this day as a national day. In Jammu Kashmir, programs announced by the joint resistance leadership (JRL) will be followed in letter and spirit as protest marches, sit-in and submitting memorandums seeking the return of Mortal remains of the great leader to his nation, will be held across the major cities of the world on the occasion,” Malik added.
BHAT, GURU SYMBOL OF SACRIFICES: TEM
Tehreek-e-Muzahamat (TeM) chairman Bilal Ahmad Sidiqui today paid rich tributes to Muhammad Maqbool Bhat and Muhammad Afzal Guru on their anniversaries.
“Both Shaheed Bhat and Shaheed Guru, will continue to inspire generations to come as great symbols of courage and sacrifices and will be acting as guiding lights for subjugated people throughout the world to stand firm and determined against all sorts of tyranny and tyrannical tactics. Their struggle, their sufferings, their devotion, their sacrifices and courage despite all odds, are recorded in history of our resistance movement in golden letters and will be the syllabus for all oppressed nations who are up against control anywhere in the world,” Bilal Sidiqui, in a statement today, said.
“The best tribute we will be offering to these true sons of soil and great soldiers of Islam is to renew our pledge towards the cause of freedom and continue this sacred struggle till it reaches its logical end,” he said.
KASHMIRIS WON’T FORGET THEIR SACRIFICES: JAVID MIR
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (H) chairman Javid Ahmad Mir along with other separatist leaders has launched a signature campaign, demanding return of the mortal remains of Muhammad Maqbool Bhat and Muhammad Afzal Guru.
“The signature campaign will continue. Today it was carried out at various in central Kashmir’s Srinagar and Budgam districts,” a spokesman of the JKLF ( H), in a statement today, said.
“When Pakistan government can return the body of Indian prisoner Sarab Jeet Singh, India should also return the mortal remains of Muhammad Maqbool Bhat and Muhammad Afzal Guru. Kashmiri people will never forget the sacrifices of both these sons of soil. Both the martyrs have devoted their lives for the Kashmir cause,” the spokesman quoted Javaid Mir as having said, adding that “It is our responsibility to protect these sacrifices.”
“World community should show their positive approach and support the demand for return of mortal remains of Bhat and Guroo,” he said.