SRINAGAR: Separatist leaders addressed three big rallies in the Valley to mobilize public opinion against bilateral talks with the Center proposed last week by four former militant “commanders.
‘The biggest rally was held at the Jamia Masjid here after the Friday prayers. In. a resolution adopted at the rally, the Hurriyat Conference said it recognized the importance of talks for the peaceful resolution of the” ‘conflict.” But it alleged that while the ‘government talked of a dialogue; it ‘was using all its might and flouting all norms to suppress the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Reiterating that participation of all three parties to the Kashmir dispute, namely India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir, was “unavoidable” for a lasting solution, the Hurriyat demanded that a representative delegation, led by it, be allowed to visit “India, Pakistan and Azad Kashmir (PoK) to initiate a purposeful tripartite dialogue. The people present endorsed the resolution by raising their hands.
‘Speaking before the adoption of the resolution, Hurriyat Conference chairman Umar Faroog dismissed the allegations that the alliance had failed as 4 political forums. The Hurriyat had given a political face to the ongoing movement in the state, he said. Others who addressed the rally were Ab Dul Gani Bhat and Molvi Moharan ad Abbas Ansari. The resolution was moved by Mohammad Sultan of the second largest rally was held at Hazratbal where JKLF (Siddiquee faction) president Shabir Ahmed Siddiquee took a vote of the people for tripartite talks and against the bilateral dialogue proposed by four former militant leaders. A spokesman of the party later said that a’ similar vote had been taken in other parts of the Valley. He claimed that 95% of the people favored trilateral talks.
JKLF (Malik) president Mohammad Yasin Malik addressed a gathering rat Jamia Masjid in Sopore in north Kashmir, Later, he led a procession up to the “martyrs cemetery” in the ion Malik devoted most of his speech to the activities of “pro government” militants and appealed to them to rejoin the separatist campaign, A spokesman of the JKLF later said that Malik had chosen to address the rally in Sopore to counter what, he called, government propaganda that the “freedom movement” had died down in the town.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 21, 1996
