The former convener of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (AJK chapter) and senior vice president of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party Mehmood Ahmed Saghar has urged the UN Secretary General to influence upon the Government of India to ensure safety of Kashmiri students and businessmen who in the wake of Pulwama attack were being hounded and attacked by boisterous mobs
ISLAMABAD/SRINAGAR (Pakistan Point News / NNI - 23rd February, 2019) The former convener of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (AJK chapter) and senior vice president of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party Mehmood Ahmed Saghar has urged the UN Secretary General to influence upon the Government of India to ensure safety of Kashmiri students and businessmen who in the wake of Pulwama attack were being hounded and attacked by boisterous mobs.
In a statement Saghar appealed the UN chief to take effective notice of the brutal attacks and protect lives and properties of hapless Kashmiris outside the Valley. Its quite unfortunate that political demagogues and hate-mongers are busy in fostering prejudice, hatred and violence against Kashmiris, he added.Meanwhile, the Kashmiri leaders and organizations have denounced the attacks on Kashmiris across India and described it a dangerous trend, which is promoting hatred among humans.
Muhammad Yasin Malik in a statement issued in Srinagar said roads and institutions across India have been turned into war zones for the Kashmiris. Attacks by goons on Kashmiri students, businessmen and tourists are most condemnable and outrageous, he added.The JKLF Chief termed these attacks as heinous and said that videos and images of these assaults and acts of humiliations could force more Kashmiri youth towards armed resistance and hence turn situation more vulnerable and unwanted.
A spokesperson for Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) in a statement in Srinagar said the attacks have once again unmasked the real face of the Hindu people of India and their communal attitude towards the Kashmiris.Leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference and the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Employees Movement, Muhammad Shafi Lone, said that through such tactics India could not suppress the ongoing liberation movement of the Kashmiri people.Patron of Karwan-e-Islami, Maulana Ghulam Rasool Hami, in a statement in Srinagar said that attacks on Kashmiris were taking place under a well-thought-out plan and all the claims of protecting Kashmiris by the Indian authorities proved hoax.
A spokesman of Jamiat Hamdania in a statement said Kashmir is not a colony of any country and the harassment of its people should be stopped immediately.Meanwhile, the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, has urged the universities across India to ensure the safety of Kashmiri student on campus and to maintain peace and harmony. It also directed the vice-chancellors to look into the matter personally for the safely of the students and maintaining peace and harmony in universities/colleges.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has condemned the attacks on Kashmiris in various states after the February 14 Pulwama militant attack and appealed Jammu and Kashmir governor to call all-party meeting to defuse tension. Kashmiri students, businessmen and employees are being selectively targeted by some miscreants in entire country, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, state secretary of CPI (M) said at a press conference here. There are some miscreants in Kashmir, Jammu and other parts of the country who are trying to divide people on communal lines.
Jingoistic atmosphere is being created in the country to polarize the already charged situation,� he said adding, Prime minister of India should take responsibility of all citizens including Kashmiris and act against these hooligans. He further said that government must take stern action against divisive forces, who are trying to disturb the peace and communal harmony in the state and who attacked Kashmiris. He also denounced statement of Meghalaya Governor, saying, He should be sacked, and a sedition case should be filed against him.
Appreciating people of Jammu, Tarigami said, Despite provocative situations in the last three decades, people of Jammu always maintained communal harmony, amity and brotherhood and role of majority of the people of Jammu and civil society is appreciable. Congress leader Kadfeen Choudhary has also expressed concern over the expulsion of Kashmiris students from various colleges outside the state, terming such crises worrisome and tantamount to pushing already perturbed youth to the wall.
Kadfeen in a statement has urged upon the authorities to take remedial measures without delay so that the students feel secure outside Valley and can return to their colleges without any fear. There is a need of rebuilding the trust that has received the heaviest hit recently when fanatic groups vandalised educational institutes and terrified the innocent students. Reconciliatory approach can alone assuage the ruffled situation, said Kadfeen.
Instead of showing younger generation dark and dreadful face of communalism, there is a dire need to show this young lot the windows of countrys secularist image so that instead of getting scared to study there, they could discover it their Eldorado. Prime Minister must come forward and shun the partisan approach to address the situation, appeal for tranquility and ensure safety to the people of Kashmir. This is what the Prime Minister is ought to do, Kadfeen said.
He added the civil society groups of the country too need play a role in pacifying the situation and make colleges and universities outside Valley safer places to study for Kashmiri students."The establishment needs to send out a clear message condemning these incidents and ensure the protection of the lives and properties of our people, he added.The Kashmir based trade bodies and members of civil society held a joint protest at city centre Lal Chowk against mob attacks on Kashmiris in various states.
The organisations which had called shutdown and protests included both factions of Kashmir economic alliance, all factions of Kashmir traders and manufacturers federation, Kashmir chamber of commerce and industry, Bapar Mandal Mahraj Gunj, Shehar-e-Khaas traders coordination committee and valley based transporters along with several other trade associations. Members of civil society representing Kashmir Centre for Social and Developmental Studies also took part in the protest which was held near historic clock tower in Lal Chowk.
In reaction to the shutdown call, shops and business establishments from Lal Chowk to Polo View and adjacent markets observed a shutdown after 3:30 pm onwards. Shutdown was also observed in Downtown areas of the city.Addressing mediapersons, Muhammad Yaseen Khan, president, KTMF said "attacks on Kashmiris including students, traders and employees was unacceptable to business fraternity." Khan gave government an ultimatum of two days to stop these attacks in various states.
We will wait for two days and will be meeting again on Monday to decide future course of action. If government fails to prevent these attacks on innocents, we will be forced to intensify protests, said Khan who also heads Kashmir economic alliance. Khan said on Monday the traders will also decide whether to boycott trade with Jammu or not.Today a union minister has come out with a statement that Kashmiris are safe in India. But is this not too little too late.
Why have they woken up now after a week of attacks, Khan said. We are against any sort of bloodshed and never resorted of bullying non-locals in the Valley, Khan said.Nasir Hameed Khan, senior vice-president, KCCI said thinkers, intellectuals and the civil society must promote communal harmony and oppose goon attacks. Business community urges the law enforcement agencies to take effective criminal action against those creating disharmony amongst various sections of the society and not be discriminatory and biased in application of law," he said."The establishment needs to send out a clear message condemning these incidents and ensure the protection of the lives and properties of our people, he added.Drivers of vehicles including trucks damaged in mob attacks at Jammu which arrived in Srinagar also joined the protests while demanding due compensation from the government.
