Geelani threatens more protests if crackdowns are not stopped

Geelani threatens more protests if crackdowns are not stopped Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), today threatened to intensify the ongoing public protests if the crackdowns against the people were not put to an end immediately। In a statement, he strongly condemned the re-introduction of crackdown, identification parade, arrests of youth and humiliating behaviour with women by police and forces. Geelani also appealed the people to foil such tactics of the government. He asked the people to come out of their houses and not to allow the police and forces to conduct the crack down and other related actions. “I appeal the people to come out collectively out of their houses and protest and foil the attempts to arrest the youth,” Geelani said. He asked the men to remain on the forefront by forming a defence wall and by keeping the women behind so that forces personnel do not reach to them. “Those in the crackdown must beat tin and raise slogans. Those outside the crackdown must also raise slogans and move to the area under crackdown. Doing so has become inevitable to save the youth from arrests and protect the honour of women,” the Hurriyat (G) chairman said. He strongly assailed the snatching of dupatta of a woman by police men during a crackdown at Bemina. “Forces personnel have got frustrated. And some Kashmiri police officers are committing more atrocities on people than forces. For promotions they are at war against their own people. Such acts are highly condemnable,” Geelani said. The Hurriyat (G) chairman alleged that Indian rulers and their local agents have got frustrated due to strong pro-freedom sentiment in Kashmiri youth and now they have started a new but intense chapter of suppression,” he said. Geelani viewed that unjustified curfew and crackdown is part of the new suppressive policy of Indian and state governments. “The policy makers in New Delhi have not learnt anything from the past and are committing same mistakes again and again. Such mistakes have not yielded anything for them in the past nor would they do so in future also,” he said. The Hurriyat (G) chairman described as deceit the 50,000 jobs and involvement of MLAs into it and said providing jobs to Kashmiri youth in the state is not a favour. “Such a process is carried forward through service selection board and involving MLAs into it is part of deceitful politics,” he said. Geelani asked the people to remain vigilant against such tactics and said the government must also realise that people would not surrender their sacred movement for ordinary benefits and concessions. Meanwhile, Prof Jaswant Singh Mann, president All India Shiromani Akali Dal, heading a delegation of Sikhs, met Geelani at his Hyderpora residence. The Hurriyat (G) chairman assured them that Sikhs are an inseparable part of Kashmiri society. “We have centuries old tradition of communal brotherhood and this tradition would be protected at any cost and any situation,” he said. Geelani stated that threatening letters to Sikhs is the handiwork of Indian agencies and an attempt to divert the attention from the ongoing massacre in Kashmir.

today expressed deep concern over the an onymous threats letters to members of the Sikh community asking them to leave the Kashmir valley.In a handout issued here from Srinagar , the ANC president, Begum Khalida Shah, aunt of Chief minister Omar Abdullah and sister of New and Renowable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah, had expressed her deep anguish and sorrow over the conspiracy being hatched to harm the traditional communal harmony in the state.She has expressed her dismay at the Sikh Community being threatened through posters. "In a similar ploy our Pandit brethren were made to leave the valley,'' she said, adding,'' Now similar plots were being hatched to scare our Sikh brethren and force them to leave the valley. Begum Shah has expressed her solidarity with the Sikh community and assured that ANC would not allow any such conspiracy to succeed.The ANC President has appealed to all the people not to allow any such nefarious designs to succeed and uphold the rich tradition of the Hindu-Muslim and Sikh unity at all costs and defeat all communal forces bent upon undermining the rich traditions of Kashmiriyat.