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Anti-poll demos rock Valley : Srinagar/Islamabad, Apr 17: Scores of protesters were injured and as many arrested across the valley when police and CRPF used force against the anti-election protesters in downtown Srinagar, Islamabad, Varmul and Sopur. Maulana Abbas Ansari today became the first separatist leader to have his effigy burnt in downtown Srinagar.
Shouting pro-freedom and anti-election slogans, hundreds of youths staged protest demonstrations after Friday prayers from Rajouri Kadal to Nowhatta Chowk in the old city areas. The protestors were carrying an effigy of Hurriyat Conference (M) acting chairman, Maulana Abbas Ansari, who has announced that his conglomerate won’t call for boycott against parliamentary elections. The youth burnt the effigy and raised slogans in support of the poll-boycott call given by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and the United Jehad Council.
Eyewitnesses said the protests took a violent turn when the police fired dozens of tear smoke shells and resorted to repeated baton charge to disperse the youth, injuring many of them. This triggered a ding-dong fight between the protestors and the police which continued till late evening. Pitched battles also continued in the interior lanes of various adjoining areas.
Youths also protested against elections at Maisuma in the heart of the city but were chased away by the police who patrolled the area till late evening.
More than a dozen youth were arrested and many more were injured in the south Kashmir town of Islamabad after the Friday prayers when police and CRPF personnel used force against anti-election protesters who were also seeking release of political prisoners.
Several youth assembled after the prayers outside Jamia Ahlihadith Masjid and started proceeding towards Lal Chowk, shouting pro-freedom and anti-election slogans. The protesters carrying placards demanded the release of incarcerated pro-freedom leader Shabir Ahmad Shah.
However, when the sloganeering protesters reached near police post Sherbagh, police and CRPF deployed in large numbers resorted to baton charge, arrested several youth and took them inside the police post.
Some of the arrested persons include Mukhtar Ahmad Sofi, Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh, Zia-ul-Haque Bukhari, Manzoor Ahmad Khag, Shabir Ahmad Baba and Ghulam Hassan Hajam.
Eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir that the troopers didn’t even spare the people who had come to offer prayers and the pedestrians who were not part of the protests.
This angered the youth who regrouped and pelted stones on the troopers at several places including Achabal Adda, Lal Chowk, Cheeni Chowk, Reshi Bazar and Mattan Chowk. However, the troopers chased away the protesters by resorting to tear gas shelling and baton charge. Clashes were going on till reports last came in.
The injured include Naseer Ahmad Baba, a chemist who according to witnesses was severely thrashed by the troopers inside his shop and a 10-year old girl hit by a stone.
A police official said a dozen youths were arrested because they were “creating law and order problem.”
Protests also broke out in Varmul in which at least 3 persons were injured.
The protestors who were shouting pro-freedom and anti-election slogans gathered in the Cement Bridge area. The police used cane charge and tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters. Similar protests were witnessed in Sopur town where hundreds of youth shouted slogans against elections after Friday prayers.
Geelani under house arrest
Srinagar, Apr 17: Many pro-freedom leaders including the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, were today put under houses arrest.
Others under house arrest included Salim Geelani, Javed Ahmad Mir, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Abdul Rasheed and Farida Behanji.
The chairman of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, evaded arrest after police reportedly issued a warrant for her arrest. Police officers had reportedly visited her residence at Soura to arrest her but she was not at home. Aasiya told Greater Kashmir from an undisclosed location that she was not aware of the charges against her.
Meanwhile, Syed Ali Shah Geelani strongly condemned the arrest of pro-freedom leaders and described it as an attempt to muzzle the voice of resistance.

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Taliban has no role in Kashmir: Salah-ud-din : Islamabad, Apr 17: Asserting that gun would remain relevant till the Kashmiri people achieved their right to self-determination, the chairman of the United Jihad Council and the supreme commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Syed Salah-ud-din, on Friday said that pro-India political parties had been misleading people so far and the elections were being used to dilute the Kashmir cause.
In an exclusive interview with Greater Kashmir, Salah-ud-din called for unity among the Hurriyat Conference and other separatist groups. He also pooh-poohed the much-hyped presence of Taliban in Kashmir as propaganda unleashed by agencies to hoodwink the international community saying “Taliban has no role in Kashmir.”
“Anybody who supports election process directly or indirectly would be deemed as a traitor of the red hot blood of half a million Kashmiri martyrs,” He maintained that the inalienable right of self-determination had been guaranteed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir by the international community and by Indo-Pak leadership.
GK: Recently, there were reports in media about the presence of Taliban in Kashmir?
SS: This is sheer propaganda of intelligence agencies. Under its garb, India has been trying to launch a diplomatic move to gain sympathies of the western world, NATO and other allied powers by saying that the forces fighting in Kabul are present in Kashmir.
But India has miserably failed and international community has not been misled by this disinformation. Taliban has no role in Kashmir.
GK: How do you see the parliamentary elections being held in Jammu and Kashmir?
SS: Well, we the constituents and the heads of freedom fighting organizations of Jammu and Kashmir have made it clear, time and again, that elections are in no way substitute to right of self-determination. Second, these elections have proved futile in so far as the resolution of the core issue of Kashmir is concerned.
In fact, India is using them to hoodwink the world community at international level, giving the false notion that people of Jammu and Kashmir have reposed trust on so-called democratic system of India. The bona fide Kashmiri leadership has always deemed these elections as fraud and as an Indian tactic to show Kashmir conflict to the international community as a problem of ‘internal security.’ And at the same time India has been using these elections a tool to cover the unprecedented human rights violations perpetrated by its troops in the state. So we appeal to people to boycott the polls. We have also appealed the Hurriyat leaders to come out of their drawing rooms and launch a comprehensive poll boycott campaign to educate the masses about the consequences of electioneering.
GK: People disregarded the boycott call by the UJC and pro-freedom leadership and voted in large numbers. Some pro-Indian critics termed the huge turnout of voters as verdict against separatists.
SS: I disagree. The figures were quoted by Indian media and authorities, which are unreliable. There was overwhelming boycott in urban areas even though pro-India parties tried hard to buy voters and do bogus voting. While polling was held in one constituency, more than 700000 troops enforced curfew in other areas. The pro-freedom leadership was not allowed to carry out the boycott campaign while pro-India parties were given funds and logistics.
In rural areas, where there is massive troop’s concentration, and in many areas people were harassed and threatened by the troops. In far-flung areas particularly the areas adjacent to borders and cantonment areas, army personnel by themselves filled the ballot boxes. The army personnel, in civil clothing, made long queues out side polling booths and later unleashed video footage terming them as Kashmiris.
I do admit that people voted in many areas but they made it clear it was not a vote against militants or pro-freedom leadership. Besides, pro-India parties told people that voting is just for basic amenities and has nothing to do with elections. Some pro-India politicians clearly stated that elections won’t have any bearing on the Kashmir dispute.
GK: But some analysts say pro-India politicians wanted to woo the voters by separating voting from Kashmir issue
SS: Yes, definitely, for their petty interests they took advantage of the situation and exploited the aspirations of innocent people.
GK: Hurriyat is divided on the issue of boycott. How do you justify the boycott call?
SS: Well, if you remember just after the recent assembly elections, the Indian political and military leadership issued statements saying separatists in Kashmir and Pakistan should learn the lesson that they can not deceive people in future. They also claimed that Kashmiris have realized their interests are secure within Indian system. Second, Indians capitalized this election turnout at international level by parroting the same words that Kashmiris have yet again reposed their trust on democratic system of India. That is why we have always been against these sham elections which have nothing to do with Kashmir and Kashmiris but to strengthen Indian rule in the state. India has exploited elections in the past, they are exploiting it in present, and they will exploit it in future.
Holding elections when every street is teeming with soldiers is meaningless. Imposing curfew and deploying troops inside and outside polling booths for democracy? Is this the democracy? Democracy means freedom of expression, if you allow pro-India political parties to campaign for elections, why don’t you allow the pro-freedom leaders to campaign for boycott? It is an imposed selection. Elections mean exercise of franchise, whereby, the people exercise democratic right in a free, fair and friendly atmosphere, which is totally lacking in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. We are asking people to boycott for these reasons.
And people who want to raise Kashmir issue in the Indian parliament must bear in mind that this is the same institution where a resolution regarding the draconian laws like POTA, TADA and AFSPA were passed without opposition, and the same laws have given immense powers to the troops to carry out genocide of Kashmiris. This is the same institution which adopted a unanimous resolution in 1994 saying that every government is duty bound to strengthen the bond between state and the center making sure that Jammu and Kashmir of 1947 including AJK is the integral part of India.
This resolution is still hanging like a sword.
GK: What is your take on the stand of two Hurriyats vis-à-vis elections?
SS: We are not satisfied. We have appealed repeatedly that this is time to educate the masses about the fatal consequences of elections which are going to take place in J&K. We believe that this is high time that leadership should come out and tell the people that this election has nothing to do with their problems and aspirations. Rather this whole drama is being staged to strengthen India’s position and suppress the ongoing struggle for right to self-determination.
Syed Ali Geelani is under house arrest for last several weeks. He has appealed the people to boycott polls. While the other Hurriyat seems to be in a dilemma, discussing what to do. We appeal them to get united and come out with a consensus and go to the public and educate them about the elections aimed at diluting the freedom sentiment invigorated by the last summer’s movement against land grab for which scores died and thousands were wounded by forces.
Differences between two Hurriyats have been a cause of concern for the UJC and people. GK: Will you play any role to bring them closer?
SS: The UJC believes that unless there is coordinated and united command of the entire movement on political and military fronts, we will face difficulties. That is why we have always advocated a unity among all the freedom loving forces, and the sooner it takes the better. We have tried out level best to bring about this unity. We believe all the freedom loving people who are serious and sincere towards the cause of freedom struggle must purify their rank and file of all those elements whose credibility is not trustworthy. There are black sheep in the pro-freedom circles. People know them better than Salahu-ud-din.
The credibility of pro-freedom circles can be gauged by their contribution, commitment, and present role in the freedom struggle. All the sincere elements should come forward positively, making self-determination as basis to forge a broad-based unity to achieve the cherished goal of freedom.
GK: In view of the political changes sweeping the globe, do you think gun is still relevant?
SS: Unfortunately people forget the reality while talking of Kashmiris’ resistance movement. When unarmed, democratic, political, peaceful, diplomatic, and constitutional struggle of Kashmiris from 1947 till 1989 failed, and India remained intransigent and unrealistic, only then Kashmiri youth took up arms. Otherwise, Kashmiris are a peace-loving people.
In the contemporary world scene, the United Nations has failed to fulfill the moral obligations regarding the settlement of Kashmir issue. If the big demagogues of the world fail to deliver justice, if India and Pakistan both fail to get honor the commitments made to Kashmiri people, what is the alternative with us? The alternative is the gun, which is relevant and would remain relevant till Kashmiris achieve the right of self-determination guaranteed to them by international community and the leadership of India and Pakistan.
The gun will also remain relevant till the last trooper is present on the soil of Kashmir.
Secondly, it is dogma of imperialistic forces, who say that gun is irrelevant. It has no logic at all. Take the example of Kashmir. Armed with draconian laws more than 700,000 troops have unleashed reign of terror. They have killed people, raped women, destroyed properties. This systematic genocide has been going on for last several years. Do you think anybody under these circumstances will remain silent?

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NEWS / Articles are reproductions of Local News Papers (Greater Kashmir & Others) So the legal rights are with there respective Writers / Publishers

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