Dogra certificate row ‘Peaceful struggle’ if order not revoked by Apr 30: Geelani

Srinagar: Hardening his stand on the Dogra certificate issue, Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Monday asked the state government to revoke the order by April 30, failing which he said the amalgam would launch a ‘peaceful struggle’ in the first week of May.
Addressing a seminar—“Is there any justification for Dogra certificate?”— at the amalgam’s Hyderpora office, Geelani reiterated that Dogra certificate was a “well-planned conspiracy to divide the people of the state.”
“In the presence of a state subject certificate, there is no legal justification for issuing a so-called Dogra certificate. If the government doesn’t revoke the order by April 30, Hurriyat Conference will issue a peaceful protest programme after consultation with the executive council in the first week of May against this conspiracy,” he said. However, Geelani said, the ‘struggle’ would be completely peaceful and should not be dubbed as an agitation.
Geelani said irrespective of caste, colour, religion, anybody having a genuine state subject had the right  live  in the state. “I have made the same commitment to Pandit brothers. Safegaurding their lives, property, honour and religous places is our duty,” he said.
Geelani also asked Muslims in Jammu province to raise their voice against what he termed attempts to assimilate them into the Dogra society. “There is no doubt that the Muslims of Jammu have suffered a lot. But they are scared for their lives. So much so that they cannot even raise their voice against attacks at their beliefs, religion and culture,” he said.
“There are difficulties but if they don’t act they will be subjected to under other in the form of Dogra certificate. They should overcome the divisions created by the government in the name of Gujjar, Rajput, Kashmiri etc and unite under the banner of Islam,” Geelani said.
In an apparent dig at National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, and the recent statements of BJP leaders that the Kashmir issue should be resolved  within the ambit of humanity and justice, Geelani said,  “We want to ask those who come to Kashmir and talk of resolving the issue within the ambit of justice and humanity, where was there justice and humanity when five lakh Muslims were massacred in 1947, millions made refugees and women raped. Their leader who was around at that time didn’t raise his voice against this barbarity nor did our leader here at that time. He was of the opinion that since Jammu Muslims had not considered him to be a leader it was alright if they were massacred.”
Geelani also vowed to continue the “peaceful struggle against Indian rule,” saying those who think of it as a diversion from the path of Jehad should understand that “ a peaceful struggle is in our interest
Geelani said Kashmir had been trapped under a colonial power after the oppression of Dogra autocracy. “Slaves fail to understand the deceptions of colonial powers. They are shown the mirages of development, roads, elections, etc. But we need to understand that without getting rid of slavery, none of our problems will be solved,” he said.
“We cannot pick up guns because we don’t have a state, Army  or resources to back up our struggle. Therefore, a peaceful struggle is the best way to end the illegal occupation of India,” he said.
However, Geelan said those who had taken up arms were fighting in their own against the “Indian occupation.”