Never against elections, People’s Silence never an agreement, peaceful resolution only solution: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
Says, “Never opposed elections, but disagree with the idea that Kashmir issue can be resolved through electoral means. Instead of prioritizing political & party interests, regional parties must unite to advocate for people’s rights, especially when they claim to have limited control. We consistently supported peaceful solutions & have engaged in dialogue with leaders like Vajpayee & Manmohan Singh; it’s time to revisit such frameworks.”
Srinagar, 4 Oct (KB): Mirwaiz-Kashmir Molvi Muhammad Umar Farooq on friday said that silence in Kashmir does not mean agreement, stating that Hurriyat always advocated for dialouge.
Mirwaiz was leading Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid after four-weeks of house detention. election
Mirwaiz while addressing people after friday sermon said as per news agency Kashmir Bulletin that, I have always maintained that we are people who seek peaceful resolution. It is not our weakness, it is our strength. So detentions can’t scare us. Hurriyat leadership may be in jails serving detentions. Many of them are booked under PSA and many under UAPA. Hurriyat is the representative forum seeking engagement with the people’s sentiment for resolution , through dialogue. election
“As long as a part of J&K is with India, a part of it is with Pakistan and some part of it with china especially post 2019 and both India and Pakistan claim it in totality, Indian Government asserting Pakistan is its territory. election
Mirwaiz said, Silence in Kashmir does’nt mean agreement and We Don’t want guns in the hands of our youth and we also don’t want Kashmir to take the shape of Palestine.
We want an end to the pain of the families divided across the LOC since 1947, and post 1990 the suffering of a Kashmiri Pandith community that migrated. This pulpit has always stood for humanity and rights of all people of J&K.
Referring to the situation in the Middle east Mirwaiz said, Look at the Middle East how the Palestinian conflict is consuming the region and destroying it and putting the entire world at a great risk. The military domination of Israel and its refusal to resolve the conflict in a just and peaceful manner by accepting the natural rights of Palestinians over their land and instead choosing force and military might, has made the whole region is vulnerable leading to deaths of thousands of civilians including children which is deeply distressing. Look at the double standards of the military power US. While it is arming Israel with bombs and missiles and promoting its own arms industry, it is calling for a ceasefire. These military powers just want an arms market, so conflicts are a great opportunity for them.
Mirwaiz while referring same situation to Kashmir said, We don’t want such a situation in Kashmir. That is why we repeatedly advocate peaceful means of outreach and dialogue. We already have the previous framework of dialogue from Vajpayee ji’s and Manmohan Singh ji’s time to begin with and work around.
Mirwaiz further said that We also believe that civic elections for governance are no means to resolve this matter and do not represented people’s aspirations and sentiments with regard to the conflict. These are two different things. Anyway, civic elections in a UT that Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded to in 2019 is limiting in giving any real power to its residents and it was rendered almost meaningless after further amendments made to the Reorganisation Act giving further sweeping executive powers to the LG. Yet the kind of disempowerment and dispossession that we have witnessed since August 2019 , people of Jammu and Kashmir have some hope that it may give them some relief and say in their daily matters, he said.
Referring his speech to Kashmir based regional parties Mirwaiz said, “Very unfortunate that regional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, who claim the Jammu and Kashmir’s identity has been taken away, failed to unite and protect it when they had the chance”.
It is unfortunate that at this crucial juncture the regional political organisations and individuals who contested could not come together and jointly fight for the great challenges before people. I hope that after the election results, these political parties and individuals will rise to the occasion and collectively prioritise people’s interest and safeguarding of their rights, rather than personal and party interests.
It is important to mention that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was on Friday allowed to lead friday prayers at historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar. Furthermore, Mirwaiz had earlier filed a fresh plea in Jammu and Kashmir high court against his house detention of which a hearing was scheduled for today. (KB)
