Separatist Leaders Meet To Forge Joint Strategy

SRINAGAR: The separatist groups are reviving efforts of unification for a "joint strategy" following a series of controversies that have hit the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir.

Veteran Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani and JKLF chief Yasin Malik Wednesday met at the Srinagar office of the Hurriyat to "foil the attempts" of the coalition government to “change the demography” of Jammu and Kashmir.

The two-hour meeting discussed the reported establishment of Sainik Colonies, separate townships for Kashmiri Pandits, the New Industrial Policy, construction of shelters for non-state subjects, the issue of NEET and the “miserable condition” of Jammu Muslims.

“It was decided in the meeting that the pro-freedom organizations will jointly resist the implementation of the RSS agenda and a disciplined and an effective course of action will be formulated in this regard,” the Hurriyat spokesperson, Ayaz Akbar, said.

After the civil secretariat opened in Srinagar on May 9, the J&K government was rattled by disclosures that the New Industrial Policy, cleared by Governor NN Vohra when J&K was under the Centre's rule, will open the gates of the state to non-state subjects who could take up inestimable land on lease from the state government, following which the policy was put on hold.

The decision to withhold the policy came amid reports that the state government is proposing to rehabilitate the migrant Kashmiri Pandits in 'Composite Townships', a move which has come under sharp criticism from the civil society, the opposition National Conference as well as the separatists who have threatened to launch an agitation over the issue.

During the meeting on Wednesday, Geelani and Malik unanimously agreed that a “do or die” situation has been created for people in the state and “any negligence on the part of the nation will have serious consequences and very soon our condition will not be better than the Palestine people who have been rendered homeless in their own land”.

“Both the leaders agreed that the policy makers of India want to change the demography of the Jammu & Kashmir as soon as possible and for this purpose the new communal government will use its entire force and machinery. PDP in this regard is extending its every possible support to the RSS and this party has sold the entire Kashmiri nation for the chair of power,” the Hurriyat spokesman said.

Geelani-Malik meeting comes a day after the JKLF chief met the moderate Hurriyat chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, after which the two leaders called for "unity" in the separatist camp for a joint strategy against "implementation of RSS agenda".

Hitting out at the chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, Geelani said the state ministers are “lying to the people” and they are “keeping the public in dark with regarding to the dangerous policies of New Delhi”.

“Geelani Sahab and Mohammad Yaseen Malik Sahab said that the Kashmiri nation will do everything to safeguard their struggle, individuality and their Muslim identity and the pro-freedom leadership will be at frontline of this movement,” the spokesman said.