KL NEWS NETWORK

SRINAGAR

While appealing for complete and state-wide shutdown on August 15, Hurriyat Conference (g) chairperson Syed Ali Geelani Monday said, “we are not against the freedom of any country including India but until this country will accept the freedom right of the Kashmiri people and will provide them a chance to decide their future by allowing independent plebiscite in Jammu & Kashmir, till then it doesn’t have any moral and constitutional right to organize the freedom celebrations on the soil of this state.”

While appealing the teachers, students and their parents for completely boycotting the 15 August functions, Geelani in a statement cautioned the government machinery not to force the teachers and students of the educational institutions to participate in these functions and don’t make them bound for it.

“India itself attained freedom from British rule on 15 August 1947 and became an independent country but only after 72 days of this freedom, this country snatched the freedom rights of the Kashmiri people and forcibly occupied this region by landed its troops on 27 October and since then this occupation continues. This country merely on the bases of its military might are riding on the shoulders of the Kashmiri people and have snatched the freedom of millions of the people of this region,” he alleged.

“Kashmiri nation is continuously demanding from last 68 years that India should call back its forces from Kashmir and give us a chance to decide our future. It is purely a democratic demand and India has also promised to fulfil that demand on national as well as international levels but this country backtracked from its promises and is now busy in suppressing the genuine and just voices of the Kashmiri nation,” Geelani added.

The Hurriyat (g) chairperson said that organizing its freedom celebration functions on the soil of Kashmir in these situations is amounting to add salt to the injuries of the Kashmiri nation. “India has no right to celebrate its freedom day on our land and if anything like conscience is present among the leaders of this country, then they should immediately stop this process and these functions should be limited to their own country,” he said.

Geelani expressed deep concern and sorrow that the government machinery was “forcing the people particularly the teachers and students of the educational institutions to participate in the 15 August functions and they are asked that the bonus marks given in the exams will not be granted to them in case of refusal.”

He also expressed his dismay over the reports that “in the name of the cultural programs the students of the educational institutions are prepared to dance and sing in these functions to entertain the ministers and officers of the Indian armed forces.”

Geelani appealed the parents that they should stop their children from participating in these functions “because it is totally against our national pride and our religious as well as social values that our daughters will dance in front of the unknown persons particularly in front of the men in uniform.”

Meanwhile, Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) Chairman Shabir Ahmad Shah Monday said that August 15 is a “black day” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and “we must observe complete shutdown on the day.”

In a statement, he also termed the stand taken by Pakistan PM’s foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz of not inviting J&K Assembly Speaker to conference in Islamabad as “justified” saying the assembly of a disputed territory has no relevance and meaning at all.

“Till Kashmiris are given their right of self determination, the decisions made by state assembly doesn’t hold any weight and are insignificant. New Delhi always used this assembly to secure its vested interests,” he maintained. “While India celebrates the August 15 as their Independence Day, the people of Jammu Kashmir continue to suffer from the oppression inflicted upset them by the former. This Day is the most unfortunate and darkest day for us as India is having forcible and illegal control of our territory.”

The DFP Chairman reiterated that Kashmiris don’t harbour any grudge against the people of India but are its well wishers like all neighbours of the subcontinent. “We are running a movement against the Government of India, seeking our birth right of self-determination. As Indian people celebrate Independence Day, its forces continue to commit worst kind of human rights violations here and have unleashed a reign of terror in every nook and corner of the Valley. The arrests and humiliation of general public has become routine here.”

“India should read writing on the wall that it can’t continue its hooliganism within the territory of Jammu Kashmir. By forcing people to attend its Independence Day functions through military might, it (India) must bear in mind that it can never crush or suppress the pro-freedom sentiments of Kashmiris,” he added.

Appealing people to make August 15 shutdown call successful, Shah said “We’ll continue to observe this Day as Black Day till India resolves the issue as per UN resolution or through tripartite dialogue.”

Talking about the resolution passed on August 13, 1948 with regard to Kashmir dispute, Shah said India is accountable for its unfulfilled duty vis-à-vis the resolution. “Similarly, it (India) can’t run away from implementation of other 18 resolutions related to Kashmir, passed in UN,” Shah added.

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