KL News Network

Srinagar

Dr Qasim Faktoo

Saying that Geelani’s deputy Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai should succeed Hurriyat patriarch Syed Ali Geelani, incarcerated chairperson of Muslim Deeni Mahaz, Dr Mohammad Qasim Faktoo has said that whosoever is resisting Indian occupation with Islam as his inspiration is Geelani’s successor.

He further said that the struggle of Kashmir is based on two-nation theory and not the United Nations resolutions.

In an interview, Dr Qasim said, “UN resolutions do not form the base of our freedom movement; it is just a supportive mechanism. The historical base of our movement is the two-nation theory. To put it in simple words, Kashmir remains an unfinished agenda of Partition. Indian National Congress was against merger of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Junagadh and Hyderabad with Pakistan, because all these states had a Hindu majority. If that was the case, how could a Muslim majority Jammu Kashmir remain with India? It is against the very principles on which Partition took place,” Dr Qasim has said.

Dr Faktoo, Kashmir’s longest serving prisoner said the most positive thing of the 2016 uprising was death of PDP. It took people of Kashmir 50 years (1938-1988) to demolish National Conference’s political and social sanctity. The PDP, which was founded by Indian intelligence agencies as an alternative to the National Conference to keep the people of Kashmir engaged with the Indian political institutions (Assembly and Parliament), lost its political and social sanctity in just 17 years (1999-2016). 2016 was the year of PDP’s death.

“Other positive thing was that the anger against India’s occupation was displayed by both men and women with passion. It was a befitting reply to the Indian propaganda that there is a small group of people who at the behest of Pakistan is talking about azadi. This mass indigenous movement made it loud and clear that people of Kashmir want freedom from India. There was display of unity both at leadership and public level, disciplined relief distribution work, and above all the people made it clear to the rulers of India that their brutalities or economic packages can’t kill or buy our sentiment for azadi.

Having said that, there are some concerns as well. For example, this uprising failed to demolish India’s political writ in Jammu Kashmir, which exists in the form of MLAs, MLCs, etc. It failed to build pressure on bureaucrats and police officers to resign, and it became clear yet again that we lack effective international diplomatic front. I must insist that Pakistan’s Kashmir Committee under the chairmanship of Molvi Fazlur Rehman has been a big disappointment. It should be closed.”

The downtown Srinagar born Qasim said that the timing of 2016 uprising was not appropriate.

“Like 2008 and 2010, this uprising too was reactionary in nature. Only difference being that the 2008 uprising erupted with a short term goal—to force government to withdraw its order to allot 800 kanals of land to Amarnath Shrine Board. After government withdrew the land transfer order, the people of Kashmir had a sense of achievement, which actually prepared them for the 2010 uprising. But as no short-term goal was set for the 2010 uprising, people got disappointed and dejected. Same has happened this time as well. The Indian media and Indian stooges in Kashmir are already saying ‘Ab kya hasil huva’. I would like to ask the Indian media a simple question: What did their leadership achieve by launching the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Quit India Movement? To the Indian stooges in Kashmir, my question is: What are you achieving by offering Salah and keeping fast during Ramadan? These Indian stooges who do not believe in the Hereafter measure every human sacrifice by worldly means and gains. I see many positive things in these uprisings particularly in 2016 uprising.”

To a question on his advocacy for Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan, Dr Qasim said, “Today or tomorrow Pakistan will emerge as an Islamic State, because secularism in Pakistan will undo the two nation theory on which the country was created. Pakistan’s importance as an Islamic state can be understood only by knowing history of Hindu India, culture of India and particularly by understanding Hindutva’s designs about Islam and Muslims in the subcontinent.”

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