From Ahmed Ali Fayyaz, Daily Excelsior
SRINAGAR, Aug 18: Chairman of the hardliner faction of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani today sought the mandate of being “Kashmiris’ only leader” from a massive gathering of over one Lakh people and made it clear that nothing short of accession to Pakistan would be the solution of the vexed Jammu & Kashmir problem. He asked the United Nations (UN) to deploy its peace-keeping forces “for security of Muslims” in Jammu and conduct a referendum in the turbulent State according to its own resolutions.
Visibly triumphant and emboldened by a series of four massive rallies in the Valley in the eight days, septuagenarian separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, appeared to be the undisputed hero of thousands of Kashmiris at a massive congregation at the spacious Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) Grounds here today. Taking timely advantage of the pro-India as well as the pro-Azadi Kashmiri leaders’ losing ground, coupled with the State Government’s total surrender before him, Geelani projected himself as the “only leader of the Kashmiris” and got his claim endorsed by an enthusiastic audience of more than one Lakh people.
“This movement is required to be run by only one leader. For years, there has been a confusion of the leadership in this movement. It has not been decided till date. Do you all repose faith in Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s leadership?”,Geelani asked the gathering and got the confirmation of “zaroor” with a thumping applause. With this endorsement, he concluded his fiery speech without paying any attention to his separatist colleagues on the dais—chairman of the so-called moderate faction of Hurriyat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of JKLF, Mohammad Yasin Malik, and chairman of Democratic Freedom Party, Shabir Ahmed Shah.
According to KNS, a spokesman of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s faction of the Hurriyat, Shahidul Islam, as also the head of Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadith, Maulan Shaukat Shah, later stated that no single individual’s leadership was acceptable. Geelani subsequently said at a 3-minute press briefing in the evening: “I regret if anybody has got hurt or the unity has been imperiled by my slip of tongue”. Without elaborating or taking questions from mediapersons, Geelani claimed that he was supportive of the unity (of separatist leaders). With regard to his earlier remarks, Geelani gave a clean chit to Srinagar-based journalists but maintained that their New Delhi-based organizations had been acting as “part of India’s war machine”.
Geelani, whose cavalcade negotiated the distance of seven kilometers from his Hyderpora residence to TRC Grounds in over three hours, said that the people of Kashmir had the relation of religion with Pakistan. He said it was because of Islam that the people of Kashmir were “Pakistanis” and introduced a new slogan to his audiences. For ten times he chanted and aroused his rally “Ham Pakistani Hain, Pakistan Hamara Hai” (We are Pakistanis and Pakistan belongs to us). He asked the new leadership in Pakistan to strictly run that country on the tenets of Islam and asserted that secularism, nationalism and America’s world order were all unacceptable to the people of Pakistan.
Geelani expressed his pleasure over General Pervez Musharraf’s resignation and said that the outgoing Pakistan President had caused considerable damage to the interests of Pakistan, Islam and the Kashmir cause for the last eight years. Geelani said that Musharraf had created a confrontation between the people and Army in Pakistan and the people of that country had finally rejected him for good. According to him, Musharraf had also honoured “men of his own choice” and paid no attention to finding a solution to the (Kashmir) problem.
Seeking resolution of the Kashmir problem by way of implementation of nearly 60-year-old UN resolutions, Geelani asked the world body to take complete control of the State of Jammu & Kashmir, give the people two-odd options of living either with India or with Pakistan and hold a referendum. He said it was one-odd demand of the people of the State and claimed that all other demands, including opening of Srinagar-Rawalpindi Road for trade and travel, would be met automatically. He also sought complete withdrawal of the Indian armed forces from J&K.
Geelani said that today’s rally was for the purpose of asking the UN Secretary General, through a memorandum, to visit Kashmir and see how an overwhelming majority of the people was peacefully demanding implementation of the UN resolutions. He said that India herself had petitioned the UN for resolving the Kashmir crisis. According to him, people of State had given six Lakh sacrifices for implementation of the UN resolutions in the last 60 years. “Right to self-determination”, according to Geelani, was the only demand of the Kashmiris. He gave assurance to the minorities that their faith, places of worship, life, property, dignity and culture would remain “fully safe and secure” after Kashmir’s separation from India.
Geelani said that five Lakh Muslims had been slain in Jammu in 1947 and ten Lakh forced to migrate in communal riots and the community was yet again facing “serious threat to life and property”. He asked the UN Secretary General to immediately deploy “impartial peace-keeping force” in Jammu for protection of the Muslim community.
In his speech at the same dais over an hour before Geelani’s arrival, JLKF chairman Yasin Malik asked New Delhi to read “the writing on the wall” and take immediate steps for resolution of the Kashmir problem. In contrast to Geelani’s hardcore Pakistani slogans, Malik chanted “Aar bhi lenge aazadi, paar bhi lenge aazadi” and suggested that creation of a sovereign State of the territories under India’s and Pakistan’s control, would be achieved by “this popular movement”. He asserted that mass movements had also broken the pride and prestige of mighty nations and India could be no exception.
In his speech, also before Geelani’s grand arrival, Mirwaiz Umar reiterated the Hurriyat Coordination Committee’s latest demands of withdrawal of Indian troops, revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, release of all Kashmiri political detenues and opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road for trade before initiative of the tripartite talks between India, Pakistan and the Kashmir leadership. He sought the UN intervention for stopping “human rights abuse by forces” in J&K and said that the “freedom movement” would continue until resolution of the Kashmir problem.
Reminiscent of the turbulent days of March 1990, like three big rallies last week, today’s congregation was full of Pakistani flags, slightly identical Islamic flags and pro-Pakistan and pro-militant slogans.
As the authorities had completely surrendered before Geelani, removed most of the Police and CRPF bunkers overnight, deployed tankers of the PHE Department for providing water to the people in the rally and permitted the rally without permission, men on hundreds of vehicles and the venue shouted: “Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan, Pakistan se rishta kya la illaha illalla, Yehan kya chalega nizaam-e-Mustafa, Meri mandi teri mandi Ralwanpindi Rawalpindi, Bharat ka jo yaar hai gadaar hai gadaar hai, Bharat teri shamat aayi Lashkar (Toiba) aayi Lashkar aayi”. Dominance of flags and slogans suggested that for thousands in the rally Azadi was just an acronym of accession to Pakistan.
Late last evening, authorities had withdrawn the earlier decision of imposing and implementing curfew with the help of Army and announced through media that the separatists’ rally would not be disturbed. Notwithstanding provocative anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans, CRPF maintained restraint and not a single incident of firing or baton charge was reported from anywhere. People too did not resort to anything beyond verbal and gesticulation. Army’s and State Government’s helicopters, carrying senior officials with video cameras, maintained surveillance over the rally for several hours.
Fearing extension of the UN Chalo march to Gupkar Road, that leads to the residences of three of the former Chief Ministers—Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mufti Mohamamd Sayeed and Ghulam Nabi Azad, besides Governor’s residence and some military formations— authorities had negotiated a deal with Geelani and closed roads to Sonawar, Gupkar Road and Boulevard. DC and SSP Srinagar had visited Geelani’s residence in Hyderpora and requested him to address the rally at TRC Grounds rather than the nearby UNMOGIP headquarters.
Much like in 1990, women sang Wanwun for the people in the rally, people paid tributes to “martyrs” and the militants killed in the last 19 years and groups of youth had created kiosks for free distribution of cold drinks, juices, fruit and packed food on all roads leading to the destination of the rally. Hurriyat Coordination Committee has granted three days of relaxation in the strike over “economic blockade” and killing of over 20 people in Police and CRPF firing earlier this month but asked the Kashmiris to yet again assemble for paying of tributes to “martyrs” at a cemetery on the Eidgah Grounds here on Friday next.
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