Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on Wednesday called for a complete shutdown on Friday (July 21) against the ‘unabated killings and caging of leadership in Kashmir’.
The leadership including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik said that they would lead a peaceful sit-in protest outside the UN office in Sonwar after mandatory Friday congregational prayers.
According to the joint statement issued here, the leadership strongly condemned and expressed deep concern at the ‘unabated and brutal killing and cold blooded murder of Kashmiris by the Indian Forces and police under one pretext or the other’.
“Justifying and branding those killed as militants, Over Ground Workers (OGW), protestors, sympathizers of the movement, secessionist or civilians caught in ‘cross fire’, the systematic and planned execution of Kashmiris to wipe us out is continuing with impunity,” JRL said, adding that “the cold blooded murder of an elderly, Mohammad Abdullah of Bijbehara or young Rayees Ahmed Bhat of Badasgam, a grocery store owner is testimony to the fact that Kashmiri are liable to be killed simply by virtue of being under occupation of Indian forces who bear no accountability for these killings.”
The JRL said that the youth is feeling pushed to the wall by state persecution and seeing such oppression, in reaction they take to arms, as all space and scope for peaceful resistance is choked.
“They are branded as ‘terrorists’ and under the garb of fighting ‘Islamic terrorism’ are killed in pinpointed operations. Those that are spared death especially the youth, are put behind bars for months and years on end through application of lawless laws like the infamous PSA, or repeatedly tormented by being asked to report to police stations. The youth from Pulwama, Shopian, Islamabad, Sopore, Shehr-e-Khas and other areas are persecuted and living a life on run as they are repeatedly beaten, harassed and threatened by the forces and police,” JRL said.
They said that thousands of young men are languishing in various jails of India paying the price for their political ideology including leaders such as Asiya Andrabi who despite keeping unwell is being subject to state revenge.
“Villages are held hostage during CASOs by the Indian forces and homes destroyed or ransacked and inmates beaten, while protesting crowds are showered with bullets and pellets resulting in killings, blinding, maiming and grievous injuries to them,” the leadership said.
The leadership said that “our mosques are also not spared the wrath of the state and the historic Jama Masjid is targeted almost every Friday by being locked down and no prayers allowed there.”
“The resistance leadership is now permanently caged and detained, not allowed to meet, while all our fundamental rights are suspended, even the right to attend funeral prayers of family member is curbed by the state,” they said, adding that “the absolute servitude of PDP for its lust to stay in power is making the people pay dearly as one after the other they compromise upon the concerns and interests of the people of Kashmir, and facilitate the BJP/RSS agenda unhindered.”
JRL said that in such circumstances unity of purpose among all sections of people and leadership is the key to move forward and get to our goal.
They said that people have shown great strength of character, political maturity and their belief in Islamic values by standing up for what is right despite the fact that they are under tremendous duress by the state.
“To register our protest and deep resentment against all killings of Kashmiris, especially the systematic genocide of our youth by the state forces and their persecution and illegal detention, arbitrary curfews and restrictions in the valley, beating and injuring of people, curbs and persecution of leadership to the extent of disallowing them from participating in family funerals by force, JRL will lead a peaceful sit in protest outside the UN office in Sonwar, in which people from all walks of life will participate on Friday 21st July after Juma prayers (which will be jointly offered at Astane Aliya Saad sb) while a complete shutdown will be observed on that,” JRL said.
They also said that the sit-in will urge the UN to ask Government of India to stop the massacre of people in Kashmir and a reminder for it to fulfill its commitments made to the people of J&K.
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