Geelani to Govt: Stop work on Amarnath road or face stir after Eid

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

Srinagar, Oct 18: Calling it ‘fresh plan of laying Amarnath Nagar’, radical Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has asked Omar Abdullah-led coalition government to immediately stop work on the proposed road link to Amarnath shrine. He has threatened to launch a mass agitation after Eid-ul-Azha (Oct 26^th) in case the establishment did not abandon construction of the road to the cave shrine 

While addressing a press conference at his Hyderpora residence, the 83 year old separatist leader warned the state government of serious consequences and threatened to launch a massive public campaign after the forthcoming Eid, if the construction was not abandoned in the ecologically fragile area.

"They are working on a very serious and dangerous plan to raise a state within a state, but they wont be allowed to do so," alleged Geelani, adding that the construction material had been brought in from Rajasthan in trucks which have been issued special permits and passes by Shrine Board and have been exempted from security checks at various entry points.

Geelani accused the state government of trying to remain in power by avoiding confrontation with the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), which manages the cave shrine and the annual Hindu pilgrimage in the state as also obeying the orders whatsoever from New Delhi.

“They don’t bother for the local interests and instead have surrendered before the will of New Delhi only to enjoy power," alleged Geelani.

Claiming that the SASB had become “a state within the state”, Geelani demanded immediate abolition of the shrine board. He said that the management of the annual Hindu pilgrimage should be handed over to the local Pandits, without any interference from any individual from outside the state. He also demanded that the pilgrimage should be limited to a fortnight instead of the present duration of two months.

Lashing out at the ruling National Conference, Geelani said that NC had always played with the sentiments of the people and had preferred power to the interests of the state and the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "It seems that State Government has surrendered before the Governor. Omar Abdullah himself had said that Governor is overstepping his jurisdiction, but on the next day after being called to Raj Bhawan, he laid his arms and bowed at Governors knees." alleged Geelani.

He said New Delhi was seeking Supreme Court’s help and the state government had not even bothered to engage a lawyer to defend the peoples’ case in the apex court after it had taken a suo motto cognizance of the death of 93 pilgrims a few months before during the annual pilgrimage.

Reiterating that during the September 2 press conference, he had warned government not to go ahead with the construction plan in the area, and the next day, various ministers of the state government publicly announced that there was no such direction from the Supreme court.

However Geelani alleged that the government was trying to keep the people in dark, therefore Hurriyat (G) had decided to conduct a secret survey in the area which revealed that the government had actually begun the construction work.

While showing the photographs of the construction site, Geelani warned that the government would have to face severe resistance if it did not stop the construction immediately. “We will launch an intensive public awareness campaign after Eid. Iff necessary, we will ask people to protest against the construction", cautioned the Hurriyat leader.

Pertinently the state witnessed massive protests in 2008, when Cabinet passed an order transferring forest land in compartment No: 63 Sindh Division to SASB. That agitation eventually led to fall of the Congress-PDP coalition government of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. The order was later revoked with a settlement with the people of Jammu who continued a counter-agitation in support of the allotment.

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