Let ‘new Hurriyat’ give freedom to people: Prof Bhat

Srinagar, Jan 11: Stating that Kashmir is in dire need of an alternative resolution process in view of UN’s failure to live up to its commitments on Kashmir, senior Hurriyat (M) leader Prof Abdul Gani Bhat Thursday challenged Syed Ali Geelani and others separatists who advocate implementation of UN resolutions, to resolve Kashmir, ‘if they can’.

“The fact is United Nations has failed to resolve Kashmir issue and even after 65 years, nothing concrete has happened vis-à-vis its settlement. We have to take benefit and rely on Indo-Pak talks but with utmost caution and vigilance,” Prof Bhat told KNS.

He observed that whenever the Hurriyat leadership moves ahead for the Kashmir resolution, it is being termed by many parties as a ‘sell-out’ and that the same is being repeated at present. “I want to tell those people who say Hurriyat are involved in a sellout that we have already been sold and we cannot have a new sell out.”

Prof Bhat maintained further that the resolution of Kashmir is not only for the betterment of the people of Kashmir but also the same is in the larger interests of South Asia, China and America. “Let we have the alternative settlement of the long pending dispute so that no wars and confrontation between two nuclear powers could take place in future.”

Commenting about the formation of third Hurriyat by Shah, Khan and Inqulabi, Bhat said that the amalgam has made the unanimous decision of not to comment about the development. “If they can give freedom to the people of Kashmir, let they do it, we will not oppose them.”

Prof Bhat maintained further that the election process has no relevance with the Kashmir issue and that people of valley are wise enough to distinguish between right and evil. “We fail to understand that how come the elections affect our just cause. The elections are for the better roads and electricity; it has nothing to do with the ongoing struggle.”

Substantiating his claims, Prof Bhat said that the UN resolutions on Kashmir deliberate in detail that the election process in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir cannot hinder its resolution process. ”If we have UN resolutions that reveal that Kashmir issue and elections are separate, why are we mingling the two. We must learn to differentiate the two to avoid further confusion.”

When asked why Huriyat didn’t adopt a same policy in the past, Bhat said that the leadership here is aware about the participation of people in the election fray and that we must not create confusion. “We know that people participated in the assembly, parliamentary and even Panchayat elections and if it is a reality, why pro-freedom camp make it the issue of life and death. Let there be voting for lanes and drains, it cannot affect even the iota of Kashmir resolution.”