- Govt doesn’t compensate everyone and we don’t want compensation from them: Mirwaiz
- Couldn’t execute plan yet as govt not allowing leaders to meet and talk about it: Geelani
With the state government announcing job opportunities for persons who lost their eyesight after being injured by government forces in last year’s unrest, Hurriyat has decided to set up a trust to provide financial assistance to all the victims.
Speaking to Kashmir Post, Hurriyat (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, “We had a meeting with the traders and we have decided to open a trust. Every Kashmiri who will go shopping will pay a rupee extra and that money will go to the trust. We have also asked the hoteliers that they will charge Rs 5 extra from the customers and that extra money will go straight to the trust. This way the entire Kashmir will help the victims.”
As per hospital records, over 12000 people have been injured by government forces with pellets, bullets and other live ammunition. With no help coming from any quarter, the victims have been left to fend for themselves with many of them pushed to penury owing to the high cost of treatment.
“The government doesn’t compensate everyone and we don’t want the compensation of the government. We are trying to help the victims through our NGOs. Whosoever approaches us, we do help him,” said Mirwaiz.
“There is an overwhelming count of patients, we cannot reach everyone. And Hurriyat doesn’t have much funds to help everyone. So we have asked baitul maals and masjid committees to come forward for the help of the victims.”
The government has imposed restrictions on the movement of Hurriyat leaders and they are not allowed to meet each other. They have also not been able to reach out to people owing to the curbs.
Speaking to Kashmir Post, Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani said, “We had formulated a plan with the traders’ body that we will open a trust and money that will be generated will be utilized for the help of the victims. But the government is not allowing us to sit, meet and talk about it because I am under detention and they are not allowing any one to meet me.”
“Mirwaiz and Yasin Malik sahab came to meet me to mature this plan of having a trust, but they were not allowed inside.”
Talking about providing the immediate help to the victims, Geelani said, “We had already asked the baitul maals and masjid committees to be active. But now their workers have also been arrested, preventing them from helping the victims also.”
On Monday, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 5 lakhs in favour of the next of kin of those killed during the unrest. Winding up the discussion on Adjournment Motion in the Legislative Assembly this morning, she said possibilities of providing jobs would also be explored in cases of extreme compassion. She added that job opportunities would be made available to the persons who lost their eyesight during the crises.
