- Announce five-day relaxation, only two-day shutdown
- ‘Working on transition from weekly protest calendars to long term plan’
Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, who are spearheading the ongoing agitation in the Valley, Wednesday announced the five-day relaxation in shutdown and stated that they are working on transition from weekly protest calendars to long term plan of programs and initiatives.
In a joint statement, Geelani, Mirwaiz and Malik said the agitation of over five months has taken the “freedom struggle forward and opened out the possibilities. It has opened scope of our struggle and we have moved closer to our goal”.
“Now it is time to consolidate our gains and build upon them in order to move ahead further. In this regard, we feel that a long term sustainable strategy based on proactive initiatives, programs and sustainable modes of protest with maximum public participation in their creation and implementation and minimum costs for the people, is the way forward,” he said.
The leaders said they are working on a plan for transition from weekly protest calendars to a long term plan of programs and initiatives.
“Despite curbs, efforts are on to reach out to all sections of society including students, traders, transporters, teachers, lawyers, artists, writers, artisans and others to discuss the idea with them, seek their suggestions and their assurance of participation and support to the long term plan,” they said.
They said since most of the leaders have been caged and all kinds of hurdles put in place to thwart and sabotage their every move by force, the announcement of the transition plan may take some more time.
The leaders also issued weekly protest and shutdown calendar. They announced relaxation in shutdown for five days and scaled down the number of striking days to two.
According to the protest calendar, there would be strike only on Friday and Saturday. “There would be no shutdown on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday”.
“After Friday prayers, people should stage freedom congregations. On Saturday, people should hold Azadi March at Tehsil headquarters and march on two wheelers and foot to the venue of march. If and wherever stopped, assemble, occupy and protest at that place till 4 pm,” the leaders said.
They have asked people to use exclusively public transport on these days for the support of transport community.
“On Monday, people should stage sit-in protest at tehsil headquarters from 2 pm to 4 pm. They should carry placards and banners highlighting the atrocities of the forces. On Tuesday, women should assemble and occupy local chowks and centres from Zuhr to Asr in the vicinity of their mohallas, villages and localities,” they said.
The separatist leaders asked lawyers to stage sit-in protest in court premises on Wednesday from 2 pm to 4 pm.
Kashmir has been witnessing unrest and shutdown since killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in encounter with forces on July 8. At least 94 people have been killed, more than 13000 injured and over 8000 arrested during the five month long unrest.
After over four months of continuous shutdown, the separatists on November 17 for the first time during the unrest announced two-day relaxation in the strike. Since then they have been relaxing shutdown on weekend.
