Strikes not permanent strategy: Geelani

Srinagar: Announcing two days of shutdown in his latest protest calendar, Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani Saturday said strikes were never a permanent strategy but a means of protest against human rights violations in Kashmir under “Indian occupation.”

Geelani said the amalgam’s protest calendars were drafted keeping in view the “feedback of people”, saying the coming protest calendars would have lesser number of strike days. However, he said, there was no question of giving up the struggle for right to self determination.

For the next week, Geelani urged people to observe strike on November 24 and 27 while asking people to march towards the Eidgah martyr’s graveyard in old city on Friday “and carry a brick with them to construct a memorial wall in memory of those killed during the last five months of protests in Kashmir.

Reacting to criticism of his protest calendars, Geeani said, “ I want to ask those who question the logic of strikes as a means of protest, is there any other alternative? When 112 Kashmiris have been killed in the past five months by police and CRPF while as 3520 have been injured, 1040 arrested, 52 students booked under Public Safety Act how should we react?  Either we have to surrender or fight for our rights, ” he said.

Asking people, particularly youth not to get disheartened, Geelani said the international community was recognizing and supporting the peaceful struggle of Kashmiris. “Organisation of Islamic Countries supports our cause. the United States termed Kashmir a long standing dispute. Even Russia which was using its Veto power against us, now says its ready to mediate between India and Pakistan for resolving the Kashmir issue,” he said.

Condemning the atrocities on the local population by government forces, Geelani said the state was pushing the people of Kashmir particularly youth to the wall. He warned of “unimaginable repercussions” if India doesn’t give up “these imperialistic policies of repression and harassment.”

The veteran leader also asked people to stay away from Panchayati elections.

He also hailed Iranian leader Ayatullah Khumenie’s remak on Kashmir. In response to a question about the alleged links between separatists and Maoists, Geelani said the people present at a seminar in New Delhi “were supporters of freedom and they supported our freedom struggle.”

“Besides this we don’t know these people,” he said.