NEW YORK: It was a scene of protest not a reception when Jug Mohan ex-governor of Kashmir arrived at Queens Public High School. He was not welcomed with garlands and cheers Instead he had to confront an enraged coalition of Kashmiris Pakistanis and Sikhs. They were there to remind him of his bloody past and unmask him before the American people.
At the protest site demonstrators were clamoring and hurling slogans “Hitler of today! Butcher of Kashmir! Murderer of thousands of Kashmiris! India quit Kashmir and Khalistan! Death or freedom!”
This was an unexpected situation for Jug Mohan and his financiers. They invited the Butcher of Kashmir to the U.S. on a two week propaganda campaign to discredit the Kashmiri freedom movement. They invited him to label Kashmiri freedom fighters as terrorists. This did not work. They failed miserably to achieve their objectives. They were caught in a dilemma The protests which were arranged and staged under the dynamic leadership of Khalid Shaheen Butt director of the Kashmir Center in New York exposed the racist Indian rulers as murderers of Kashmiris and usurpers of their legitimate right of self-determination
Ina written statement issued by Kashmir information center it is stated that while addressing the protest rally Shaheen exposed and denounced the genocidal policies of the Indian rulers He expressed outrage at the repression killing and raping of innocent civilian Kashmiris by the Indian rulers. He focused on the demands for an immediate end to Indian atrocities and the implementation of UN resolutions He reiterated that the one-million-man Indian army should evacuate occupied Kashmir and Khalistan He vowed to continue the peaceful struggle until Kashmir is freed from Indian occupation. And he appealed to the international media and the leaders of the international community to come forward and support the just cause of the Kashmiris.
In the midst of the protest Jug Mohans books on Kashmir were burned and literature highlighting instances of Indian brutality was distributed.
The rally was a hallmark of unity among the different organizations and the leadership of different groups. This unity demonstrated that the just cause of the Kashmiris draws support from people from all walks of life. Sikh community participation in the protest in large numbers proved the existence of solidarity and a community of interests between Kashmiris and Sikhs. The Kashmir Center played an important role in coordinating the activities of all the diverse organizations.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 19, 1992
