Asiya surprised by minority’s tears over insecurity

‘They (Hindus, Sikhs) will have to be part of Quit J&K Movement’

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Aug 9: Dukhtaraan-e-Millat chairperson and radical separatist leader, Asiya Andrabi, today said that the non-Muslim minorities were free to join or not to join Kashmir’s “freedom struggle” but she made it clear that they will have to observe shutdown over the separatists’ calls and become a part of the current ‘Quit Jammu & Kashmir Movement’.

Disappointed over reports that two delegations of the Hindus and the Sikhs had called on the Hurriyat (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and “wept bitterly” over the sense of their insecurity, Dukhtaraan chief said that it had hurt the sentiments of the majority community in Kashmir.

“Delegations of Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti and All-party Sikh Coordination Committee have badly hurt the sentiments of the Muslims of Kashmir by weeping bitterly over their insecurity and choosing this form the expression before Syed Ali Shah Geelani”, Asiya said in a statement released here this evening. According to her, Pandits and Sikhs were free to join or not to join the “freedom struggle” but they could not be exempted from observing shutdown over the calls issued by the Valley’s separatist leaders. “Whenever, there is a call for shutdown, nobody will be allowed to operate shops or vehicles. They (Pandits and Sikhs) will have to essentially show their solidarity with Jammu Kashmir Chhordo Tehreek (by closing businesses and freezing vehicles on the days of shutdown)”, Asiya said.

According to her, the religious minorities in Kashmir would have to join ‘Quit Jammu & Kashmir Movement’ as both, majority as well as minority, would have to taste the fruit of the freedom together (after winning it whenever).

Delegations of Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs had called on Mr Geelani here on Sunday and wept bitterly over their sense of insecurity. They had, reportedly, lamented before the octogenarian separatist leader over incidents of certain people harassing and forcing them to join the separatist demonstrations and other such programmes. Geelani, according to reports, had assured them nobody would be allowed to carry on activities aimed at causing another migration of the minorities.

In her angry terse reaction, 50-year-old Dukhtaraan supremo claimed that the Kashmiri Muslims had always taken “extraordinary care” of the non-Muslim minorities. “Whenever an affliction did befall on the minorities, there was invariably an Indian sinister plan behind. From the mass migration of Pandits in 1990 to the massacre (of Sikhs and Pandits) at Chittisinghpura and Nadimarg, all these catastrophes were the handiwork of top Indian intelligence agencies. Kashmiri Muslims are extremely sensitive and humane”, Asia added.

Mrs Andrabi claimed that even in the current days of crisis, Muslims had been providing maximum of the relief to the non-Muslims, who, according to her, had admitted it for themselves in various statements.

“In 2008, (members of) Sangharash Samiti burnded alive a number of Kashmiri Muslim drivers. It was all horrible and heart-rending but we observed maximum of our restraint and did not harm even a single (Amarnath shrine) pilgrim”, Asiya asserted. As for providing security to the non-Muslim minorities, she argued that the majority community itself was at the receiving end as none of their lives and properties were secure. “When we are ourselves insecure, how can we guarantee security of the minorities?” she asked. “Minorities can ask for security from the majority only after we get freedom from India”, she added. She said that everybody would have to live with a sense of insecurity as long as the Kashmiri Muslims struggled for “freedom for Islam”.

Meanwhile, after Geelani, Jamaat-e-Islami has also assured security and dignity to members of the non-Muslim communities in Kashmir. A spokesman of the organization said in a statement today that the minorities were an integral part of the Kashmir society and they would have to feel secure.

Meanwhile, Kashmir valley today observed total shutdown over Mr Geelani’s call of three days of “protest strike”. Authorities declared and enforced curfew in Srinagar while as similar restrictions were in place at almost all over district headquarters and major townships with formal announcement of curfew. Reports said that there was no major incident of violation or clash with forces, though thin groups of youngsters clashed with Police and CRPF at some places. Official sources said that not a single bullet was fired anywhere as the unruly groups dispersed by tearsmoke. These reports said that a mob manhandled a Police constable and torched his motorcycle at Shopian.

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