Attacks ‘pre-planned, state backed’: Mirwaiz

Srinagar: Alleging that the assaults on him and senior leader, Bilal Gani Lone were “pre-planned” and “state-patronized,” Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Wednesday said  extremist and communal forces in India were hell bent on giving a communal color to the “indigenous freedom struggle of Kashmiris.”

Addressing a press conference on his arrival here today, Mirwaiz said the Hurriyat (M) was undeterred by such tactics and vowed to continue the amalgam’s “awareness programme” about the Kashmir issue among Indian masses.

“There is no doubt that the government is hand-in-glove with these extremist elements who want to muzzle the voice of Kashmiris in order to not allow the truth come before the people of India. The manner in which back to back assaults were carried out against us in Chandigarh, Kolkatta and New Delhi by hooligans shows that they enjoy state patronage,” Mirwaiz said.

When asked about the statement of chief minister Omar Abdullah that the Chandigarh assault on the Hurriyat leaders was a “reaction to separatist politics,” Mirwaiz said, “Well, I don’t think the CM’s statement deserves a comment.”

Mirwaiz said the peaceful mass movement of Kashmiris this year had rattled the establishment and political parties in India, and, out of frustration, attempts were being made to malign the “indigenous movement” by linking it to Maoists, Al-Qaeda, Pakistan, etc.

Mirwaiz said during their interaction in the Indian cities the two Hurriyat leaders  had emphasized that the Hurriyat was representing Kashmiri people and not India or Pakistan.

“Unfortunately, the establishment and political parties in India have distorted the picture of Kashmir by presenting our movement as voilent, fundamentalist and pak-sponsored so that they can fool the Indian public into believing that crushing the Kashmiris in in India’s national interests. Which is why, the Hurriyat made a conscious decision to inform the Indian masses and the civil society about the ground situation in Kashmir and we will continue its efforts in this regard,” he said.

In reply to a question about the Qamarwari shootout that left three youth and a cop dead, Mirwaiz said the encounter was “fake”. “An impression is being created that militancy is on the rise in Kashmir. In fact, they are trying desperately for this non-voilenent mass movement to turn into a violent movement in order to portray it as a ‘terrorist’ struggle to the world.”