KL Report
SRINAGAR
Describing Syed Ali Geelani as the towering personality and great leader of Kashmir, renowned author and journalist Prem Shankar Jah Monday urged upon New Delhi to take him into confidence and start a meaningful dialogue to resolve Kashmir issue once for all.
“I fail to understand why India is not accepting reality and why it is acting like an ostrich. It is an established fact that Geelani is the true leader of masses. He is the one on whose call Kashmir opens, and remains shut. It is beyond my understanding why New Delhi is reluctant to take Geelani into confidence and start dialogue process with him,” Jah told a Srinagar based news agency, CNS, adding that India in fact has let loose a reign of terror in Kashmir from past twenty years.
Prem Shankar Jah welcomed the release of Geelani and said that, eventually government of India has to provide space to separatist leaders in Kashmir Valley. “How long you are going to cage Geelani and other separatist leaders. How long you are going to muzzle the voice of common Kashmiri people. The more you suppress the sentiments of people, the more they would react sharply. So it is better for the government of India to give a space to Geelani and other separatist leaders,” he said.
Renowned author said that state government of Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi must accept that Geelani is the leader of masses. “Nobody can deny this fact and I myself believe that if New Delhi would take Geelani into confidence, all the problems would get solved,” he said.
He admitted that government of India suppressed the people of Kashmir and let loose a reign of terror there. “India committed a blunder by executing Muhammad Afzal Guru. His execution could have been avoided but lately India realized its folly. People of Kashmir are feeling suffocation and they should be allowed to breathe freely,” Jah told CNS.
He said that there is no freedom and democracy in Kashmir. “After every incident, internet and SMS services are snapped. Undeclared curfew and restrictions are imposed and people are not allowed to express themselves freely. This is not freedom but bondage and Government of India must take measures to heal the wounds of Kashmiri people,” he said.
