Srinagar | WTNS | Oct 04:Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir and APHC chairman Mohammad Umar Farooq after release from more than one month of undeclared house arrest in his address at Jamia masjid said that he was allowed to come to Jama Masjid and after more than a month, after again going to the court where the date of hearing of his case is today . He said that It is ridiculous that I am detained at will by authorities and worse that it is denied in public then. Despite their best efforts to project it otherwise and suppress the truth , the fact of my detention can’t be denied in this age of information. The recent reports by USCIRF and FIDH mention the realities of J&K including large scale political detentions and incarcerations and arrests of religious leaders.
In a statement to Wilayat Times, Mirwaiz emphasised that I have always maintained that we are people who seek peaceful resolution . It is not our weakness , it is our strength. So detentions can’t scare us . Hurriyat leadership may be in jails serving detentions. Many of them are booked under PSA and many under UAPA. Hurriyat is the representative forum seeking engagement with the people’s sentiment for resolution , through dialogue. As long as a part of J&K is in India , a part of it in Pakistan and some part of it with china (especially post 2019 ),and both India and Pakistan claim it in totality , Indian Government asserting PAK is it’s territory and Pakistan saying IAK is it’s , our future is uncertain and the conflict continues. The powers involved in the conflict don’t look at Kashmir as a humanitarian issue, which has consumed generations of Kashmiris- yearning for a solution and closure to the conflict. We want an end to the pain of the families divided across the LOC since 1947 , and post 1990 the suffering of a Kashmiri Pandith community that migrated. This pulpit has always stood for humanity and rights of all people of J&K .
Look at the Middle East ,how the Palestinian conflict is consuming the region and destroying it and putting the entire world at a great risk . The military domination of Israel and its refusal to resolve the conflict in a just and peaceful manner by accepting the natural rights of Palestinians over their land , and instead choosing force and military might, has made the whole region s vulnerable leading to deaths of thousands of civilians including children which is deeply distressing. Look at the double standards of the military power US . While it is arming Israel with bombs and missiles and promoting its own arms industry, it is calling for ceasefire . These military powers just want an arms market , so conflicts are a great opportunity for them . We don’t want such a situation in this region . That is why we repeatedly advocate peaceful means of outreach and dialogue . We already have the previous framework of dialogue from Vajpayee ji’s and Manmohan Singh ji’s time to begin with and work around.
Mirwaiz further said that We also believe that civic elections for governance are no means to resolve this matter and do not represent people’s aspirations and sentiments with regard to the conflict. These are two different things . Anyway, civic elections in a UT that jk was downgraded to in 2019 is limiting in giving any real power to its residents, and in JK it was rendered almost meaningless after further amendments made to the Reorganisation Act giving further sweeping executive powers to the LG. Yet the kind of disempowerment and dispossession that we have witnessed since August 2019 , people of jk have some hope that it may give them some relief and say in their daily matters . It is unfortunate that at this crucial juncture the regional political organisations and individuals who contested could not come together and jointly fight for the great challenges before people. I hope that after the election results, these political parties and individuals will rise to the occasion and collectively prioritise people’s interest and safeguarding of their rights , rather than personal and party interests.
Mirwaiz also cautioned the authorities that any attempt to change the important days in Islamic calendar of J&K like during the month of Rabiul awal recently will be strongly resisted by the people .The attempt to politicise this religious issue will not be accepted by the Muslims of J&K. He also sought answers from the J&K administration as to why the historic Jamia Masjid is closed on important religious occasion including Shab-e-Qadr, Rabi-ul Awal, Jumat-ul-Vida etc. “Cant you see how people of Kashmir cooperate in the religious festivals of other communities. Don’t you see how we cooperate to make Amarnath Yatra a grand success? Why is Jamia being locked and prayers disallowed when it is Islamic occasion? “ He asked
