Srinagar, Oct 7 2018: Commenting on the Governor Satyapal Malik’s recent statement that Kashmir has been mishandled by New Delhi, the Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani on Saturday said, “Kashmir has not only been mishandled but manhandled also. Governor’s acceptance vindicates our stand.”
“Right from 1947, the issue has been seen only through the prism of law and order while aspirations and sentiments of people have always been ignored. The denial of the historical and ground realities and parroting the ‘Atoot Ang’ rhetoric was the biggest blunder New Delhi has committed during all these years. It has not only threatened the peace of the subcontinent but has also put the two nuclear nations on the verge of catastrophic collision,” Geelani said in a statement.
He further said, “The Governor has accepted half of the reality while in the same breath he has claimed that people of Jammu and Kashmir have willingly joined India, which is totally in contrast to the ground realities. Had these assertions any standing, then more than a million forces with latest weaponry would not be patrolling every street here, the laws like AFSPA, PSA, and Disturbed Area Act, etc, would not have been enforced, every patch of land here would not have been soaked in blood of Kashmiris, more than 10000 innocents would not have been disappeared after arresting them in the broad daylight in presence of their family, more than 800 unmarked graves would not have been declared a gross human rights violation by word community, rape and molestation of women would not have been used as a weapon of war, hundreds of martyrs’ graveyards would not have been spread through length and breadth of vale, and there would not have been any mass uprising especially in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2016”.
“Comparing our movement with LTTE is ridiculous, unrealistic and misleading. Our moment is a legitimate struggle for our basic rights guaranteed by world community, fed by the blood and honour of thousands of our youth for the last 71 years. Had the might and latest weaponry been able to dent the will and vigour for the cause, India itself would have never dreamed of freedom from British colonial rule,” Geelani said.
Commenting on Governor’s statement about talks, Geelani said, “New Delhi has never been interested in any meaningful and result oriented talks and whenever any such attempt was made from any quarter particularly Pakistan, it shied away on one or the other pretext. Drama of talks has been going on for the last 71 years without an iota of any positive change on the ground.”
