The joint resistance leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik Monday termed as “undemocratic” the summons issued by the National Investigation Agency and the Enforcement Directorate to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed NaseemGeelani.
In a statement, the JRL said: “New Delhi’s dream to defeat Kashmiris’ resistance movement by using the NIA, ED against leaders and their children will never come true”.
“It is the duty of every Kashmiri to remain steadfast, follow every program of the leadership in letter and spirit and keep the flame of freedom struggle lit (sic),” the statement read.
“Maneuvers to trample the people’s resistance through agencies, slapping of Public Safety Act and unlawful Acts (on people), banning socio-religious organisations, arresting common people, political activists, ulema and religious scholars, and other acts of crackdown and tyranny are destined to fail,” the JRL said.
Slamming the “ongoing and unabated oppression in Kashmir and Muslim-dominated areas of Jammu”, the JRL said the warrants and summons against Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq, Syed NaseemGeelani and others “are part of operation all-out and undemocratic acts”.
“This undemocratic approach has pushed (and is pushing) Kashmiris to the wall and hence promoting the worst violence. A struggle that is nourished by the sacred blood of martyrs cannot be defeated by such mean acts and as long as a single Kashmiri lives, this struggle for freedom and right to self-determination will live and reach its desired goal,” the statement read.
The JRL deplored the arrest of JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik, Jamat-i-Islami spokesman advocate Zahid Ali, vice-president of JamiatAhlihadeesmolviMushtaq Ahmad Veeri and hundreds of others and slapping of PSA on them and “reopening of some concocted cases against Yasin Malik and others.”
“This arrest spree is also part of operation all-out and Kashmiris have been bearing this kind of tyranny for the last more than 70 years now. These suppressive measures have failed in the past and are bound to fail in the future too,” the JRL said.
“The veteran ailing leader Syed Ali Geelani has been placed under house arrest from last many years and Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq and others are also often caged like this and the main purpose of these confinements is to stop leadership from meeting masses,” the statement read.
Terming the dossier against Muhammad Yasin Malik as “absurd”, the JRL said: “This dossier, its language and also putting this ailing leader in solitary confinement at Kotbalwal jail illustrate the mental bankruptcy of the police and civil administration”.
The JRL called the ban on Jamaat-i-Islami and arresting its entire leadership including ameer, Hameed Fayaz, as “dictatorial step.”
Asking the people of Jammu and Kashmir to “remain steadfast, upright and affiliated to the resistance movement”, the JRL said: “We have kept our peaceful political resistance alive in every situation and nowadays when every young and old, leaders and activists of resistance movement are facing tyranny, when leaders along with their families and friends are being intimidated and booked under black laws, every Kashmiri, young and old, is duty-bound to remain steadfast, wedded to the struggle of martyrs, stay united and follow every program that is announced by the recognised resistance leadership”.