Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Sundayexpressed anguish and grief over the mounting strife and violence in Kishtwar. Lashing out at the mainstream parties in J&K, Mirwaiz said that the situation in Kishtwar is a ‘result of ruthless, Machiavellian politics played out by these mischievous mainstream parties for electoral gains and appeasement of their masters and agencies to stay in power.’
In a statement he said that the violence and provocation against Muslims by armed SPOs and VDCs that was allowed to take place during the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr was a telling reminder of the ‘anti-people’ policies of those mainstream parties which have their ‘hands soaked with the blood of thousands of innocent Kashmiris.’ “The administration, the police and the elected politicians are all united in their resolve to watch Muslims suffer and be suppressed without any end. The earlier incident in Gool, Ramban where the security forces in unprovoked firing killed five innocent civilians was another such horrific demonstration of the State’s murderous instincts towards Muslims in J&K,†he said.
The Hurriyat (M) chairman said that despite repeated red flags and incidents of repression, the State Government chose not to disband and disarm the ‘notorious and communal’ Village Defence Committees (VDCs). “Armed individuals belonging to the same VDCs are toying around with law and order and peace, unleashing their wrath as and where they deem fit. First the mainstream in connivance with the agencies operating inJ&K openly and tacitly funded and facilitated the dreaded Ikhwanis in the nineties and now they have extended their unflinching patronage to Special Police Officers (SPOs) and so-called Village Defence Committees. The mainstream parties in J&K are complicit in all atrocities committed by SPOs and VDCs throughout the State,†he claimed.
Conveying his commiseration and condolence to those affected by the violence in Kishtwar, Mirwaiz called the Government’s response and manner of dealing with the chain of events in Kishtwar as suspicious. He also said that the people should look at the history of this State to realize ‘how these mainstream parties have historically stoked communal and regional passions as and when they found it necessary for their own political gains.’ Calling for calm and restoration of peace in Kishtwar, he cautioned the people against being used and exploited by the mainstream parties in such unfortunate and alarming situations.
Mirwaiz appealed to the Hindu community to not allow these parties to use them for their political ambitions. “Both communities have to live with each other in the same traditional spirit of co-existence and amity. Our Hindu brethren should not allow parties like the RSS, VHP, BJP or Bajrang Dal to exploit their sentiments and whip their passions for greater political games,†he said.
The Mirwaiz assured the people of Kishtwar that people from all parts of Kashmir were deeply concerned at the situation unfolding there and stood with the victims of violence in their grief and suffering.
