Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, June 18: The hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani today warned of armed uprising in Kashmir if the Government continued to curb the peaceful protests.
Addressing a press conference here, Geelani said that militancy is an option available with the youth of Kashmir. He threatened that armed uprising may re-visit Kashmir if the restrictions on the peaceful protest programmes are not lifted by the State Government.
Geelani said that the peaceful options for the youth is no longer left due to frequent curbs and restrictions imposed on the protest programme announced by the separatist parties.
He said that space should be provided for peaceful protest programme. He accused the State Government of sabotaging his last week’s programme of commemorating the victims of 2010 summer agitation.
“Youth can go in any direction since they are not allowed to assemble and raise peaceful protest against various forms of human rights violations in the Kashmir valley. Since options are available to the youth one cannot rule out the extreme step taken by them. The message should go out loud and clear both to the State Government as well as Government of India,” said Geelani.
He said that restrictions are imposed on the free movement of the people especially separatists. He added that the separatist leaders are not being allowed to take part even in religious and social functions.
“Youth are feeling frustrated as they witness frequent house arrest of their leaders. Some of the youth have met me and they said that they are being pushed to the wall. They have threatened to go to any extent and the Government would be responsible for the consequences thereof. Since options are available to the youth one can expect any action from them,” said Geelani.
He took a dig at the claims of the State Government that peace has been established in the state. He said the Government is enforcing peace by imposing curbs and restrictions on the movement of separatist leaders and not allowing them to hold peaceful protest programmes.
Geelani said that demilitarization of Siachen glacier would not lead to any result adding that the primary issue of Jammu and Kashmir should be resolved first. He termed Siachen as an off-shoot and said that first the basic issue should be resolved.
“There is no doubt that Siachen is an issue between India and Pakistan but that does not mean the primary issue is kept in the back-burner. If the Kashmir issue is solved then the subsequent issues would get automatically solved. Siachen is an expensive affair and if Kashmir issue is solved then both India and Pakistan would be saved off the expenditure made at the Siachen glacier,” said Geelani.
He rubbished the claims of police that his programme at Eidgah on Sunday may have been targeted by the activists of the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. He said the State Government is providing un-reasonable and un-justified reasons for putting him under house arrest on regular basis.
Geelani demanded that United Nations should set up a war tribunal so that the alleged human rights violations are probed in the State. He condemned the alleged desecration of holy Quran at Bandipora and said that such incidents have taken place during the two decades of militancy.
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