Even as the group of three recently appointed interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir prepares to visit the State soon for beginning a sustained dialogue with all sections of the people, hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Thursday gave a call for their boycott.
Describing the exercise as a ploy of the government to gain time, Mr. Geelani said there was “no sincerity” towards finding a permanent solution to the Kashmir problem.
“I am announcing from the platform of this convention on Kashmir that nobody should meet the interlocutors when they visit the State. Do they not know what people in Kashmir want? What will these interlocutors do in their one-year-long mandate? They want to meet students, shopkeepers and everyone else but what do they want to know?”
The Hurriyat leader was speaking at “Convention on Kashmir – Azadi: The only Way,” organised by the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP) here. The five-hour-long convention also saw Maoist ideologue and Telangana poet, Varavara Rao, and Booker Prize winner and writer Arundhati Roy express their solidarity with the people of Kashmir in their fight for justice and right to self-determination.
Shout slogans
Frequent interruptions, sloganeering and noisy protests by a section of the audience, including some Kashmiri Pandits, who were objecting to the presence of the separatist leader on the dais, marred the proceedings. The protesters, shouting slogans like Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Vande Mataram, created ruckus at the convention. They were finally taken out by police. A large number of Kashmiri youth and their supporters countered them with slogans like “We want freedom.”
Mr. Geelani's boycott call came amidst indications that the interlocutors were planning their maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir on October 23. The interlocutors — eminent journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, noted academician Radha Kumar and Information Commissioner M.M. Ansari — are likely to visit the State for a week. The group, which met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday, is likely to meet BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley on Friday.
The veteran Hurriyat leader said dialogue had been held for 150 times since March 23, 1952 but without yielding any result. “It has been a failure. We are for dialogue but then India should give up its stand of repeating that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral of India,” he said.
Referring to his five-point formula announced in August, the separatist leader said it had included demands like recognising that Kashmir was an international problem, release of detenus and pulling out of armed forces but added that it was meant only to start the process towards building a conducive atmosphere for holding dialogue and was not a solution in itself.
“The core issue of Kashmir has to be addressed through tripartite talks involving India, Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
“Fundamental right”
The Hurriyat leader said the right to self-determination was the “fundamental right” of the people of Kashmir, who included all those living in the Jammu and Ladakh regions — be they Sikhs, Buddhists and Hindus. “No amount of suppression and deployment of armed forces can crush the sentiment of Azadi and right to self-determination of Kashmiri people.”
He said it was a “good sign” that people in other parts of the country were raising their voice in support of Kashmiri people and their struggle.
Ms. Roy called for forging a united platform of people who were involved in their own struggles for justice in different regions of the country.
“You have to look for tactical, political and intellectual alliances and think about justice, otherwise you will be like fish swimming in a tank with strong walls and ultimately getting tired,” she said.
Ms. Roy said she did not want young people in Kashmir to be let down even by their own leaders. She said the idea of justice linked struggles of people in Nagaland, Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa to the people of Kashmir.
Keywords: Kashmir separatists, Hurriyat Conference, hardliner, Kashmiri Pandits
I am from Tamil Nadu and we used to be anti-Hindi and used to ask for seperate country in the 60's. But soon we realised that it was not achievable and are happily working to better ourselves within the Indian Union. Being part of the Indian Union is lot beneficial than being a tiny country shadowed by large countries such as India and China. I hope the small percentage of Kashmiris (Muslim Extremists) take note of this. The longer this carries on the more Kashmir is going to go backward and all it's youngsters will leave Kashmir and work at other cities in India. This intellectual drain together with constant under development will leave Kashmir the slum of India in the near future. The longer this fight goes on the more powerful India will get so everyone around the world will not even talk about Kashmir and the rest is history. So for the sake of the beautiful Kashmir stop fighting enjoy the rights given to you and develop it rather than making it into India's slum...
I as a Muslim feel that seperation is not going to allow for anything better. Take a look around , the most safest country for 130 million Muslims is India not Pakistan. Kashmir is never going to become a separate country and India is not going to give freedom to any state.
Mr.Geelani and his supporters are missing one point? What about the muslims living in rest of India.
The eminent Home Minister of India and his agnecies should have been more proactive and influenced the so called 'freedom of speech' - I thought the Constitution of India envisages that the freedom of a person ends where the domain of the other person starts. For all practical purposes the likes of Arundhati, Geelani and others have become tools for challenging the Indian state. These people have lost their sense of balance and such people or at least some of them need to be tried for treason by the Indian state. I am a Kashmiri Pandit but an Indian first. I wonder why Indian state and its agenices are always found wanting to address a given situation considering Pakistan is not going to change its course.
Sll the people should remember that in 1948 when Pakistan attacked Kashmir the Maharaja acceded to India and Kashmiris have settled all over India and are doing business peacefully. Now with Pakistani money the so called separatists all talking of azadi. First of all let them take azadi from Pakistan ie., Pak-occupied-kashmir should be liberated by them from Pakistan. They have all along enjoyed freedom in India, elected their own governments, had their own leaders to rule them. India has spent thousands of crores of rupees on their welfare. We have Kashmiri central cabinet ministers. We do not have anything against them - we in fact love them. The Kashmiris should know what happened to muhajirs in Pakistan. India is on the threshold of becoming a super power Kashmiris should see sense and stop all the so called azadi drama so that they can progress in the days to come .see how accomdative we are recently a Kashmiri boy stood first in the civil .We all love to see many more like him.also please see that better sense prevails a powerfull country like india cannot be cowed down by any body so all Kashmiris should join the main stream for their own good ,if Geelani or whosoever wants to do good for his people let him contest election and become the chief minister and administer his people in a better manner than omar abdullah who is also a kashmiri.
I would say Sir Syed Ahmed Khan well said "We (Hindus and Muslims) eat the same crop, drink water from the same rivers and breathe the same air. As a matter of fact Hindus and Muslims are the two eyes of the beautiful bride that is Hindustan. Weakness of any one of them will spoil the beauty of the bride (dulhan)"
Kashmiris say that they have been struggling for freedom for the past 63 years. But in these years have they ever paid gratitude to the Indian government for the extra funds spent on them, the concessions granted to the Kashmiris and Kashmiri migrants, the subsidy provided on almost all basic necessities and free food? We all know the answer. And what freedom do they talk of? Kashmiris were indulged only in cribbing for more and entertaining militants from across the border. When asked what problems they have from Indian government and being called a part of India, they won't have an answer. Only thing they are adamant about is that they want freedom although they will eat Indian money, and are surviving under the Indian government. Most of the youth too have no logic or understanding of their own as to why their 'Geelani sahib' wants them to shout freedom slogans. They shout and they pelt stones just because it is said so by Geelani sahib. Kashmiri youth are mindless. I have seen them myself. Two years back on my way from Jammu to Srinagar, our taxi driver, under 30, kept telling us how he wants to go to Pakistan and be a part of them. On being asked why, he said only his body lies in India, heart is in Pakistan, its always been. He added that most of the Kashmiris share the same kind of sentiment. In such a case how can we expect the Kashmiris to indulge in a dialogue process.
It is a very sad moment for all of us Kashmiris that the people(Kashmiri pandiths) who were part of our culture and will always be it's part, have done a very big blunder by creating hindrances in the seminar organised in New Delhi, where Mr. Geelani was speaking..these people(Kashmiri pandiths) should also understand it clearly that the problem in Kashmir is also their problem. we would appreciate their safe return to their ancestral home..they are our brothers...they should not become victims of any conpiracy...Let's be together to make our Jammu and Kashmir a "khushaal Jammu and Kashmir" where people from different religionz can live in a "peaceful coexistence"
I read that in Geelani's Kashmir, minorities would be allowed to have liquor, but there would be strict prohibition for Muslims. Good luck with little Taliban! Someone commented "Kashmiri Pandits should have thought about their relatives and friends who are residing in Kashmir ... true supporters of Mr Geelani in Kashmir (as it is whole Kashmir)may get inspired to attack Pandits in Kashmir" What is this, if not a veiled threat? 'Secular' Azad Kashmir!!
Kashmir is Integral part of India and if anyone tries to separate it from India. We people of India will not keep quiet. We want peace for all our brothers and sisters in Kashmir and we have faith in our Govt which is managing other states well. As Pakistan is influencing people in Kashmir and making the situation worst. Hope everyone understand this and put an end to the ideas of separating Kashmir from India.
Lovely reporting on the public meeting. Provides some relief from the caricature of it presented on NDTV, Times Now and various other corporate visual media channels last night. This day they sank lower than the sarkari owned DD of the 1980s and 90s.
It is suggested that government should incorporate the so called the intellectuals of the like of Ms Roy, Swamiji and others to actually participate in the interlocutor group for interaction with the Kashmiri people and the separatist leaders. Ms Roy has over stepped her line by including all the people who are supposedly fighting for justice. She and others of her type should know that is not an easy job to defend and justify the deaths of innocent people and who is doing injustice on whom. It is the modus operendi of the rebels to indulge in random killings to establish hold over the area and the people. People should be judicious in their choice of sides in National and international matters. The types of Ms Roy and Swamis are only worried about their TRP.
I condemn the activity like this. As Geelani Sab is not just an individual. He is the voice of Kashmir. He represents the whole Kashmir. Anything that will happen to him will happen to Kashmir. And similarly if anything happens to Kashmir Mr Geelani takes it as his own Happening. Kashmiri Pandits should have thought about their relatives and friends who are residing in Kashmir. As their sentiments made them able to attack on Mr Geelani. Similarly the true supporters of Mr Geelani in Kashmir (as it is whole Kashmir)may get inspired to attack Pandits in Kashmir. Such things will only lead to hatred and destruction on both the sides. I also support to show the anger, but this is not the way.Such ways will prove to have negative impact.
Actually, India is trying to buy time again from Kashmiri People. They are trying to engage us with these nonsense interlocutors, who have no authority to resolve a simple act like PSA or AFSPA. Geelani sahib rightly said we must boycott such people and there is no need to talk to them. Kashmir is addressing its problem to India from last 63 years and no Indian Politician required middle men to address problem.. Right now we are only protesting peacefully, however very soon you will find us fighting against India.... India cannot suppress freedom moment by using Force against Kashmiries...
Nice to see such protests in the capital city of Union of India.Perhaps India may be the only country which allows such convention on its soil.Let's have many Arundhati Roy's and Rao's who do welfare of suppressed section of society in talk shows and conventions.But fact these individuals fail to realize is the rejection of their ideologies by the affected class themselves.As long as there is print and visual media, they will exist.
Hello Kashmiri, Please come down from your Icy place and share the warmth of other Indian people. Please come down from your Heights to share our happiness and Sorrow of all "down to earth" Indian people. Geelani gets you separate nation.. Then religion based regime.. Then riots. So more weapons. More chaos... then International intervention to stabilize the regime. So you are back to dust again. Please look around for examples Iraq, Afgan, Pak. There is no real azadi for you. Wake up, Stay with India, start political party; that is nice business in India. You can try your hands on that. And we are almost reaching moon, soon Mars. We will have space. Don't worry.
Please Email the Editor