SRINAGAR A complete shutdown was observed in the commercial nerve centre of Srinagar Lal Chowk and its adjoining areas on Monday to mark the 29th anniversary of the massacre of around 53 civilians by paramilitary forces on a city bridge, known as Gaw Kadal.
The call for the strike was issued by the top Hurriyat leaders comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik currently operating under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership.
All shops and other business establishments on posh Polo View, Residency Road, Lal Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Ameera Kadal, Maisuma, Basant Bagh and Court Road, Koker Bazar, Maharaja Bazar and Hari Singh High Street remained closed.
However, public transport plied normally.
Authorities arrested Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) supremo Yasin Malik from his Maisuma residence to prevent him from leading protests on the occasion.
Another top Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the arrest of Malik.
Impunity, killing over 53 people on spot and injuring more than 250 ! Strongly denounce arrest of Yasin sb, Hilal Var and other activists for protesting this massacre, Mirwaiz tweeted adding that the massacre was another painful reminder of the huge human cost we pay living under forcible control.
JRL holds memorial meeting at Gawkadal
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising on Monday said that 21 January 1990 is a historical day when Kashmiris resisted Indian bullets but refused to budge before tyranny and falsehood.
Despite heavy police restrictions, curfew in the whole area, arrest spree and other oppressive measures, JRL leaders and activists managed to gather at Basant Bagh and held a memorial meeting near the site of 21st January 1990 Gawkadal massacre, the statement said.
It said that to foil todays peaceful program, police kept JRL leaders Syed Ali Geelani under house arrest while as they raided the residence of Muhammad Yasin Malik early morning and arrested him. He is lodged at police station Kothi Bagh. Police have also arrested Hurriyat leaders Bilal Ahmad Sideeqi, Hilal Ahmad Waar and many others. The JRL said that besides resistance leaders and activists, people from different walks of life and admirers of selfless martyrs participated in todays program. The memorial program was addressed by advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt, Ghulam Nabi Zaki, Muhammad Rafiq Shah Owaisi who paid rich tributes to these martyrs.
Hurriyat (M) pays tribute to Gawkadal massacre martyrs
Hurriyat Conference (M) while paying glorious tributes to the martyrs of January 21, 1990, of Gawkadal massacre on their 29th martyrdom anniversary stated that the best tributes to the martyrs of Kashmir struggle is to remain steadfast and to take their mission forward.
A Hurriyat (M) spokesperson in a statement said that brutal massacre committed by Indian forces on January 21, 1990 at Gaw Kadal claimed over 53 lives and left 250 people injured.
Over the past three decades, the major massacres that include Hawal, Gaw Kadal, Bijbehera, Zakoora, Sopore, Handwara, Kupwara, Shopian, Chattisingpora, Wandhama, Machil, Kunanposhpora, Pathribal are the blot on the Indian democracy and reflects the open aggression of government forces on people of Kashmir, he said.
The spokesperson strongly condemned the arrest of JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik, senior Hurriyat leaders Mukhtar Ahmed Waza and Engineer Ahmed War and lodging them in various police stations and stated that even peaceful activities of resistance camp have become an eye-sore for the authorities.
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