Mirwaiz To Delhi: Militaristic Approach To Kashmir Big Mistake

Srinagar—Stressing that New Delhi’s approach of viewing the Kashmir issue through a military prism was a big mistake, the chairman of the Hurriyat (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said that repression in the state would only breed rebellion and resistance.

The Mirwaiz said that recent statements from the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and ministers in the government of India indicated that New Delhi would continue with its “stubborn and unrealistic policy of dealing with the Kashmir dispute militarily.”

Speaking at the weekly congregational prayers at the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, the Mirwaiz said that the government of India’s assertions that the draconian AFSPA would continue to remain in place was a signal that New Delhi wanted to “muzzle and crush the genuine Kashmir struggle with its military might.”

“Adopting such an approach and looking at Kashmir through a military prism is a big mistake that they are making as history shows that people’s struggles for the realization of their political will can never be crushed through force and on the strength of military might,” he said.

The natural outcome of repression is rebellion and resistance and the more New Delhi decides to deal with the situation on the ground through repression the more the people of Kashmir, especially the youth, will be forced to resist and rebel and sometimes unfortunately violently,” he said.

“Repression triggers further anger among the common masses,” he said.

“The people of Kashmir and the resistance leadership have repeatedly been stating that Kashmir is a political and human issue which needs a political and humanistic approach from New Delhi and Islamabad and that the best way to resolve it is by implementing the UN resolutions on it,” he said.

“An alternative way is sustained and meaningful tripartite dialogue between India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir, who are basic party to the dispute,” he said.

“The rigid policy of New Delhi is pushing Kashmir’s educated youth to the wall and forcing them to choose armed means as a form of resistance against the forcible control, which is extremely distressing and painful,” he said.

“Not only are Kashmiri youth being killed, tortured and harassed due to the prolonging of the dispute, it is also having an adverse affect on the Indian forces stationed here,” he said.

“In the past six years, 700 forces personnel have committed suicide due to mental stress and the hostile environment that they face here. This indicates that the seven-decade long conflict is taking a toll not only on the psyche of the people of Kashmir who are suffering from various psychiatric disorders as a consequence of the conflict but also on their own forces personnel working under tremendous stress,” he said.

“The status quo cannot be continued and GoI has to take steps for resolution. Cooperation in resolution rather than confrontation is the way out for one and all.”

The Mirwaiz said that announcements that plastic bullets will now be added to the lethal arsenal of forces who already use bullets pellets, tear gas shells pepper gas and chilly grenades, will only increase the anger and hostility among Kashmiris.

“It is another indicator of how New Delhi views the problem and how it sees the people of Kashmir,” the Mirwaiz said.

Felicitating Pakistan on its national day, the Mirwaiz said that Pakistan had been actively supporting Muslims across the globe in their genuine demands and had always been a great supporter to Kashmiris on the moral and diplomatic fronts.

The Mirwaiz prayed for Pakistan’s stability and hoped that the country would touch new heights in progress and development. He also also hoped that Pakistan would intensify its efforts as a stakeholder to ensure that the vexed issue of Kashmir was resolved as per the wishes of the people.

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