Geelani censures Akhter for ‘concealing anti-people deeds’
Govt ‘plotting’ to change JK demography: Yasin Malik
Will launch agitation if WPRs given domicile certificates: Mirwaiz
Srinagar: Protests and clashes broke out in various parts of Kashmir on Friday against issuance of “domicile certificates” to non-state subject West Pakistani Refugees residing in Jammu areas, even as Valley’s top separatist leaders strongly reacted to the government’s move and threatened state-wide agitation “if it is not rolled back forthwith.”
The joint resistance leadership—Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik—had urged people to stage protests against “settlement” of WPRs in Jammu and Kashmir through issuance of domicile certificates, on Friday. The leaders had also called for a complete strike against the move that has come in from severe criticism from several quarters. The shutdown call evoked a complete response as shops remained shut while traffic remained off the roads.
Reports of protests came in from South, North and Central Kashmir areas.
Witnesses said massive protests and clashes erupted in Nowhatta area of old Srinagar after Friday prayers.
Earlier, a protest march was led by Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq outside historic Jamia Masjid in the locality.
Protests and clashes were reported from Batamaloo area also. Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Muhammad Yasin Malik also led a protest march from Dastgeer Sahab (RA) shrine at Sarai Bala here against the “settlement” of WPRs. The police, however, detained Malik and pushed back the protestors, who later dispersed peacefully.
Senior Hurriyat (M) leader Er Hilal Ahmed War was again barred from coming out of his Maisuma residence, a report said. He was supposed to lead a protest march against the domicile status to WPRs.
Reports from north Kashmir said amid complete shutdown in Baramulla district, clashes between protesting youth and police were reported from Sopore area on Friday afternoon. They said clashes broke out this afternoon at main chowk Sopore after scores of people, including family and relatives of a boy who was injured on December 16, took to streets and demanded arrest of forces personnel involved in inflicting serious injury to the boy. Separate protests were staged against issuance of domicile certificates to WPRs. The protest started soon after Friday prayers from Jamia Masjid Sopore. Police lobbed scores of teargas shells to quell the protesting youths, but clashes spread to other areas which include Arampora and New Colony and continued for several hours, reports said.
Meanwhile, in other parts of the district which include Rafiabad, Tangmarg, Pattan and Palhallan, a complete shutdown was observed. All shops were closed and there was thin presence of traffic on roads. A peaceful sit-in was staged at Nadihal where senior Huriyat leader Ghulam Nabi Waseem addressed a public gathering and briefed people about the “moves aimed at changing the demography of the State, including issuance of domicile certificates to WPRs.”
Reports from Bandipora district said protests and clashes erupted in Pazalpora village after Friday congregation prayers against issuance of domicile certificates to WPRs. Youth clashed with forces near BRO office by hurling stones and bricks at them as soon as Friday prayers culminated.
“In retaliation, the forces fired dozens of tear smoke and sound shells to disperse the protestors,” they said.
Clashes lasted for several hours but there were no reports of any injury to anyone.
Reports said clashes also erupted in Mantrigam, Papchan and Ajar villages.
Meanwhile, a peaceful protest rally was held in Aloosa village amid pro-freedom slogans. It was addressed by local Hurriyat leaders. Similar protest rally was held in Ajas.
Reports from South Kashmir districts said that protest rallies were witnessed at Qaimoh, Khudwani, Redwani, and Bijbehara. Protest rallies were reported in Pulwama and Shopian also. Reports said all these rallies ended peacefully.
Scores of people took out a protest rally after Friday prayers ended at Khankah Faiz Panah in Tral township of Pulwama district.
The protesters were raising slogans against issuance of domicile certificates TO West Pakistan refugees and a Supreme Court verdict on sovereignty of Jammu and Kashmir. “We cannot tolerate issuance of domicile certificates to West Pakistani refugees,” said a protestor.
Reports from Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district said after Friday prayers, forces were seen deployed outside Jamia Masjids in its main towns including at Ganderbal and Kangan. However, they were withdrawn immediately after culmination of the prayers. There were no reports of protests from any part of the district. Police said the deployment was in place as a precautionary measure.
Reports from Budgam district said mild clashes were reported from Aripanthan and Budran, Magam after Friday prayers.
The Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani, who continues to be under detention, was on Friday again barred by police from offering Friday prayers. In a statement, a Hurriyat (G) spokesman said: “This undemocratic and unethical practice (of barring Geelani from Friday prayers) has become a routine and despite protesting against such gross rights violations, the government seems to be numb and such a maneuvering has been a statecraft by every Delhi-installed government irrespective of its name and fame.”
Reacting to Education Minister Naeem Akhtar’s statement on issuance of controversial domicile certificates to West Pakistan Refugees, the spokesman said: “After deceitful and anti-people blunders, the so-called educated minister most shamelessly surfaces to offer clarifications and explanations. Doesn’t issuing domicile certificate makes one eligible for other incentives and if not, then why these refugees are in Jammu and Kashmir and in what capacity? Can the minister educate us as to what does identity certificate mean and what information is needed to compile it? Every time this vocal minister tries to put a lid on foul and filthy deeds of his bosses. It seems he has been assigned this task to conceal the heinous anti-people crimes in the vocabulary of gimmicks.”
“These yes-men have shredded off the last coat of their worth and dignity to justify and legitimize backdoor robbery of these political dacoits and they willfully act as statues to these destructive measures. SARFAESI Act is a well-knit conspiracy to strangulate us economically and what their Parliament could not dare to do, their judiciary has done it, using the blood soaked hands of these collaborators,” the Hurriyat spokesman said.
He added: “New Delhi uses all its weapons in its armory—government, political, parliament, and now judicial—to muzzle and cripple us so that we become a cannon fodder for their ghosts to engulf. When the deceitful political maneuvering backfires, the so-called mouthpieces of this treason wrap it in the veil of so-called misinterpretation and bury it under callous and mean debris of so-called conspiracy to create unrest to topple its government.”
“Delhi-groomed politicians and India-crowned ‘sultans’ of our ill-fated land have been using these deceptions for the last seven decades to appease their crowning authorities but their power lust and greed seems to have no end,” the spokesman said, adding: “The Hurriyat once again reminds the people that with each passing day our rights, honour and dignity is being snatched away and we need to fight it collectively to safeguard and ensure our existence.”
A deliberate attempt is being made to change J&K’s demography by issuing domicile certificates to West Pakistan refugees, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik said on Friday, asserting that he “won’t mind” spilling his blood to “sabotage the PDP-BJP government’s move.”
Malik, who had gone into hiding late on Thursday evening, spent the night at an unknown location around Lal Chowk and surfaced at revered shrine of Dastgeer Sahab (RA) at Saraibala here on Friday along with dozens of his supporters and JKLF activists.
Soon after culmination of congregational Friday prayers, Malik led a huge protest march against issuance of domicile certificates to non-state subject WPRs by the PDP-led government. The protestors raised pro-freedom and anti-government slogans.
There was, however, heavy deployment of police who geared up to detain Malik to prevent protestors from proceeding towards Lal Chowk.
Talking to reporters before being detained, Malik said in J&K, the State Subject Law has been in vogue since Maharaja Hari Singh’s time. “It’s because our state is rich in water resources and has a vast forestland that the State Subject Law was enacted to ensure no outsider buys a property here to settle down,” he said.
“Ever since the PDP-BJP government took the reins of the State, one or the other issue is being raked up to create confusion and push the majority to the wall,” he said. “First the government triggered controversy by raking up issues like separate colonies for Kashmiri Pandits, then exclusive colonies for retired soldiers and now (is) again issuing domicile certificates to refugees.”
Malik said he won’t hesitate to spill his blood to protect the State Subject Law. “We will not allow any move aimed at changing the demography of the State. We will oppose all such moves tooth and nail,” he said. “Kashmiri people can never be mute spectators on such moves. There will always be a tough resistance to defeat such designs.”
He said such moves were hatched to change the “disputed nature of J&K and its Muslim majority character too.”
The JKLF chief slammed recent remarks of J&K BJP chief Sat Sharma wherein he had stated that issuing domicile certificates was a first step towards “settlement of West Pakistan refugees and that they will be given citizenship rights and later the voting rights too.”
“This is purely RSS plan and now with the help of BJP and PDP, they are trying to implement their plans in J&K. But this time, people are more intelligent and wise and will defeat all such moves,” he said.
Malik also termed the recent verdict of court where in J&K’s sovereignty was challenged as “a well planned conspiracy” against Kashmiri people. “At times J&K’s sovereign character is challenged and at times, various banks in India are allowed to confiscate properties,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Front chief was lodged at Police station Shaheed Gunj, a Front spokesman said.
Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday threatened to launch an agitation if the ruling PDP-BJP government goes ahead with issuing domicile certificates to West Pakistan Refugees living in Jammu region. He said the move to settle refugees in J&K is aimed at “changing” the demography of Kashmir.
Addressing a Friday gathering at historic Majia Masjid here, Mirwaiz said settlement of West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) is a well-planned conspiracy to change the disputed nature of Kashmir issue.
“The plan to settle refugees has been conceived by the RSS and now with the support of PDP and BJP government, they want to see it as a reality. We will not allow any move which is aimed at changing the Muslim majority character of the State,” he said.
Mirwaiz said people of Kashmir will defeat all such moves tooth and nail. “If government doesn’t come clean on the issue, we won’t hesitate in launching a state-wide agitation and entire responsibility will lie on the government,” he said.
He said thousands of Kashmiris have been killed in the past 26 years and hundreds are “facing worst kind of oppression” with no remorse from the government. “Now all of a sudden hearts of rulers who are responsible for bloodshed in Kashmir are feeling the pain of refugees. This sounds a mockery and a big joke,” the Mirwaiz said. “Those who blinded hundreds of youth with deadly pellets claim to be the champions of addressing problems of refugees. In real sense, settlement of WPRs is a well conceived plot of RSS-backed PDP and BJP to slowly change J&K’s demography.”
After the culmination of Friday prayers, Mirwaiz led a massive protest march outside Jamia Masjid and raised slogans including ‘We want freedom and Ye mulq hamara hai, iska faisla hum karengay (This nation is ours, we will decide its fate).”
Mirwaiz himself held a placard which read: “No domicile for WPRs, stop dictatorship.”
Addressing the gathering outside the grand mosque, Mirwaiz said challenging the sovereignty of Kashmir by the courts and the tacit support of the J&K government in the SARFAESI Act case is “actually aimed at allowing India’s financial institutions to seize the immovable properties of Kashmiris.”
“The plan is to seize our property and to sell the same to non-state residents to ensure Kashmiris are thrown out of their own land. For this, RSS with the active support from PDP and BJP is taking the judiciary route,” he said. “All kinds of efforts— overt and covert are being made towards the goal of assimilation.”
Mirwaiz asked the government to immediately announce the rollback of issuing domicile certificates to WPRs or else face the agitation.
PREVENTED TO REACH JAMIA ON FRIDAYS: OLD CITY RESIDENTS
Meanwhile, residents of various old Srinagar areas on Friday alleged that heavy deployment of forces around Jamia Masjid every Friday is aimed to prevent them from reaching the grand masjid to offer congregational prayers.
“We see forces standing on main roads leading to Jamia on all Fridays. At some places, barbed wire is also placed on roads to restrict movement of people. I along with my friend were heading towards Jamia, but were pushed back by the forces,” said Zubair Ahmed, a resident of Nowshehra area.
Many elderly people also echoed similar views. “For the past few Fridays, forces are preventing people including youth from reaching Jamia Masjid,” said elderly persons at Nowhatta said. “Today, there were only four rows of people at Jamia Masjid. Otherwise, we would witness at least 15 rows on Fridays.”
Hurriyat Conference (M) spokesman Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam while condemning the curbs in old city areas said the government authorities are indulging in direct interference in religious affairs of people.
“For the past many Fridays, worshipers including youth are pushed back and not allowed to reach Jamia Masjid. This highhandedness is intolerable,” he said.