Pro-freedom Kashmiri leader: Make October 6 march a success

Make Lal Chowk march a success: Geelani

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Not Allowed To Offer Friday Prayers Again

FAHEEM ASLAM | Greater Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 26: Veteran pro-freedom leader and the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani, on Friday urged people to participate in the march to Lal Chowk on October 6 to show the world that Kashmiris were united in their struggle for right to self-determination.

Talking to Greater Kashmir this afternoon, Geelani said, “People from every nook and corner of the Valley should ensure their presence at Lal Chowk on October 6. They should follow the coordination committee’s call as they have been doing so far.”

Geelani stressed that people should be peaceful during the march and only raise the relevant slogans. “The more peaceful people would be, the more world attraction it will evoke,” he said. “It is therefore necessary that people should march peacefully and abandon from provocative sloganeering.”
Geelani was scheduled to offer prayers at Hazratbal, but was not allowed by the police as the leader continues to be under house arrest for the past 19 days.

He said every participant in the march should carry black flags with ‘we want right to self-determination’ written on it. “There should be no banners of any party or any organisation. People must follow the directions in letter and spirit.”

He said the slogans to be raised should be: “Hum Kya Chahtay Azadi, Islam Zindabad, Shohada Kay Waaris Zinday Hai and Awwaz Do Hum Ek Hain.”
Geelani urged people to go for a social boycott of the pro-India leaders who are desperate to see elections taking place in Jammu and Kashmir. “Kashmir is not the issue of elections or governance. It is an internationally recognized dispute which must be resolved as per the wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Geelani said it was unfortunate to see some pro-India leaders advocating elections at a time when the whole Valley is up in arms against India. “Kashmir issue is the issue of India’s illegal occupation of Kashmir and not about elections. Kashmir is not a border dispute between India and Pakistan.”

Geelani reiterated that right to self-determination was the only solution to Kashmir dispute. “It is our obligation to free ourselves from the Indian occupation. The recent protests have given a new dimension to the freedom struggle and it is great to observe our youth realizing their insecurity under the Indian occupation,” Geelani said.

Geelani said it was shocking that he was not allowed to offer any Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadhan. “It is my 20th day under house arrest and it is painful to observe that I am being barred from offering prayers,” Geelani said.

Meanwhile, Hurriyat (G) acting general secretary, Pir Saifullah addressed a mammoth gathering at Hazratbal shrine here, urging people to stand united in the struggle for freedom. “Anything short of self-determination is not acceptable to us as solution to Kashmir dispute. This basic right must be given to the people of Kashmir,” Saifullah said.

Saifuallah urged people to make the march to Lal Chowk on October 6 successful to show the world that Kashmiris were united. Saifullah strongly condemned the house arrest of Syed Ali Geelani, who was scheduled to address people at Hazratbal today.

Flanked by some other Hurriyat (G) leaders, Saifullah asserted that if Geelani was not released from house arrest before Eid-ul-Fitr, lakhs of people would offer themselves for arrest as a mark of protest.

Saifullah condemned what he called the daily police excesses on Kashmiris. “I wonder where these policemen will live when we will achieve freedom. The police excesses on Kashmiris must stop forthwith,” he said.

He said more than 80 Kashmiris have been killed in police action in the past two months. “In Jammu, police uses rubber bullets to break the violent protests, but when it comes to Kashmir, people are ruthlessly killed for holding peaceful protests,” Saifullah said.

He said unity among pro-freedom leaders was the need of the hour.
Later, Saifullah led a peaceful pro-freedom demonstration at Hazratbal. The demonstration was attended by thousands of people who raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.

Tags: demands for freedom, India's illegal occupation of Kashmir, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Kashmir, peaceful march, Pir Saifullah, pro-freedom leaders, right to self-determination, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, under house arrest