Not against dialogue, but oppression must end first: Joint Resistance Leadership

The joint resistance leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik on Tuesday hit out at the chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, calling her statement that the separatist leadership was “shying away from participating in the dialogue process” as “mischievous and misleading.”
“No sane person would oppose a meaningful dialogue process as a means of conflict resolution, especially when the entire nation is reeling under grueling repression and paying so dearly. But the dialogue has to be aimed at that end,” the leaders said in a statement.
“The offer becomes unrealistic and suspect when it is qualified with parameters and conditions like ‘within the Indian constitution’, ‘accepting accession as final’ and so on. It then becomes a tool to tide over the current crisis, maintain the status-quo, buy time to weaken the movement and the leadership, and linger on the issue, as has been observed in the past,” the statement read.
The JRL said that instead of creating an atmosphere conducive for engagement if that is the real intent, what Kashmiri people and the resistance leadership instead see is “further increase and aggressiveness in military operations like ‘operation all-out’, which is only aimed at killing militants and anyone who protests.”
Calling the situation in Kashmir as “volatile,” the JRL said: “Apart from instilling fear of the forces in people and harass them and dissuade them from their political struggle, all space for the resistance leadership is simultaneously chocked and pressure put on us to stop representing the sentiments of Kashmiri people, and yield.”
“In terms of repression and human rights violations, the situation is at its all-time low. All our institutions—educational, social and religious—are under assault. Each day, under a well-planned strategy of RSS, new threats emanate to these institutions from various power centers of New Delhi. The aim is to undermine our identity and eventually change the demographic character of the state and the discourse on Kashmir,” the JRL said.
Instead of resisting these moves, the state’s rulers are abetting them and are then, in order to divert the people’s attention, raising the bogey of dialogue just to ensure their smooth stay in power, the leaders said.
“It is just a gimmick.”
The JRL said that while Mehbooba Mufti calls Maharaja Hari Singh’s accession to India as “historic”, she advocates dialogue for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute “in the same breath.”
“It shows their duplicity and betrayal to the people. Kashmir dispute has now become 70-year-old whose resolution is best possible by giving the people their basic right of self-determination as was recently suggested by an Indian intellectual, giving reference of Scotland and Ireland,” the JRL said.
“An alternative way to resolution of the issue can also be a sustained, transparent and meaningful dialogue process where all three parties—India, Pakistan and the representatives of Kashimiris—come together to reach a solution acceptable to all the stakeholders. We have always welcomed a sustained and meaningful dialogue for the resolution of Kashmir issue as per the wishes of its people, who are the main stakeholders of the dispute,” the leadership said.
“Instead of making meaningless statements on dialogue, the least Mehbooba Mufti can do is put an end to repression by stopping ‘operation all-out’ which leaves behind a trail of killings, blinding and maiming, especially young boys and even women now and razing homes to the ground, forcing people of all ages out of their homes in biting cold and harassing them. An end should be put to arbitrary arrests of Kashmiri people (like Kawa) at will, raiding and arresting resistance leaders by the NIA and ED and then lodging them in notorious Tihar Jail in New Delhi and also the assault on the Kashmiri prisoners there. All political prisoners should be released,” the JRL said.
Elaborating, the JRL said, “We should be also be released and allowed to reach out to families of those whose loved ones are killed by government forces.”
“Turning entire Srinagar into a military fortress, especially on every Friday, should be stopped. An end should be put to targeting of masjids, shrines and now also educational institutions of Kashmir,” they said.
“If Mehbooba Mufti really means what she says and has a heart, she should ensure these things are done away with and an atmosphere is created where one can see and feel that some semblance of humanity is restored and people’s and leadership’s faith in dialogue will also be restored and we can move forward towards peace,” the JRL said.
Meanwhile, the JRL expressed condolence over the death of Muhammad Ayoub Bhat of Shopian, who had sustained serious bullet injuries in forces’ action 27 days ago. The JRL extended solidarity and sympathy with the family members of Bhat and stated that the “sacrifices offered by the people of Kashmir will be protected in every form.”

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