Hashim Qureshi
For nearly thirty years in the past I have been persistently advocating against violence and use of brute force. I have consistently held that the gun is the enemy of Kashmiris because violence is against the very culture of Kashmir. It is very unfortunate that anybody taking courage to speak out the truth and expose the ground reality is removed from the scene through the use of brute force.
Whosoever in Kashmir opts to think in a way different from that what pro-Pakistanis advocate or what the ISI and the Hurriyat preach, he is either made an object of damnation or his life is put to an end.
There is no dearth of incidents of this nature like the killing of Mir Waiz Maulavi Farooq, octogenarian Maulana Masudi, Prof. Abdul Ahad Wani, Dr. Ghulam Qadir Wani, Dr. Guru, Sarwanand Premi, H.N Wanchoo who had become invalid, Prof. Mushirul Haq, Prof. Khera, Abdual Ghani Lone, Qazi Nisar, Lassa Kaul, and hundreds more. Kashmiri intellectuals and scholars have been killed just because they tried to think out of the box, out of the parameters proposed by the ISI or the Hurriyat or the militants. All leaders of these three categories do speak about the freedom of Kashmir but whenever anybody actively tries to pursue the agenda for freedom, they manipulate his liquidation from the scene.
What kind of freedom do these gun wielders want? The reason for the broad day murder of Shujaat Bukhari and his two bodyguards is that he believed in the resolution of Kashmir issue through dialogue and non-violent methodology. He was made to pay for his conviction of a peaceful solution to Kashmir imbroglio. Actually, he was worried of continued fighting in Kashmir that took a heavy toll of Kashmiri community. He together with his two body guards had to sacrifice their lives for upholding their conviction of a peaceful and non-violent campaign in the Indian part of Kashmir. Imagine the brutality of his assassins that he was done away with on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan?
Militants are self destroyers. India announced unilateral ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan. New Delhi cashed on this tactics and won the world opinion of how the Indian government capitalized on this propaganda. How sad that militant organizations did not observe ceasefire during this month and what is more they undertook to unleash violence on the eve of Eid-ul -Fitr. They targeted even the keepers of the shrines of Kashmiri saints to which ordinary Kashmiri is devoted.
In this way militant organizations including the Hurriyat have created an atmosphere of civil war in Kashmir in which conspiracies of murdering the adversary are formulated and executed viciously. I include Hurriyat in this category because it considers itself the pioneer of the ongoing movement in Kashmir. However, a deeper insight reveals that except the freedom of giving calls for strikes, they have no control on anything. They are incapable of coming to the support of the wards of those who are martyred in the ongoing conflict. Despite their tall claims of leadership they have not been able to open a school for the orphans of the martyred activists or a hospital, even a dispensary, by way of providing succor to the families of the deceased martyrs. During past twenty five years thousand of children have become orphans. Hurriyat did not care for them. Not only that, if medical or engineering seats were offered for the wards of the martyrs these were distributed by the Hurriyat leadership among the people close to them and not to those who really deserved. In 2016 a close associate of Ali Shah Geelani said in a television interview that the stone palters were paid money for throwing stones and some who set schools and hospitals on fire were also paid money to do so. He said he was personally opposed to it. The question is why did Ali shah Geelani throw him out of his organization? Was it just because he told the truth? People in Kashmir are understanding things and they know who kills who and why?
I must state that the Kashmiri community is tired of this proxy war and perfidy and it is seeking release from an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.; We strongly condemn violence and killing committed whether buy the militants or by the security forces. I appeal all to give up the gun and allow the people of Kashmir live a life of freedom from fear. Killing of intellectuals and journalists indicates that an attempt is made to forestall the intellectual evolution of human mind.
The Pushtuns have already rejected the movement in the name of jihad and now the Pushtun community is resorting to civil disobedience for the achievement of their objectives.
(The author is Chairman JKDLP)
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