Mirwaiz leads protest after Friday prayers.
SrinagarHurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday led a protest march inside the mosque precincts against Army chief’s commendation card to Major Leetul Gogoi, who had tied a Kashmiri man to his jeep as a human shield on April 9.
Holding placards, the protestors raised slogans against the government and the Army and demanded action against the Major.
He also made a “fervent appeal” to the United Nations, UNHRC, ICJ, and international human rights bodies to take strong note and play their role in preventing Indian military from committing “heinous war crimes against Kashmiri civilians”.
Addressing the Friday congregational gathering at the historic Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar, Mirwaiz said that Kashmiri people are being subjected to worst forms of state atrocities at the hands of forces over the past 30 years “in particular with impunity and there is hardly any method of repression which has been left unused against us.”
“All this, because we are demanding our fundamental right to decide our destiny.”
Mirwaiz said that using of Farooq Dar as a human shield was no “on the moment decision”, as claimed by the major, but “a well thought out idea because if according to the major it was to save his team from stone pelting why was Farooq Ahmed paraded for seven long hours through many villages?”
“The objective of this incident was twofold: revenge and retribution from the locals and to send a clear and stern message to the locals and the people of Kashmir in general that this is how they will be treated if they dare to stand up for their rights,” said the Mirwaiz.
The APHC chairman said that by felicitating the army officer for this “anti-human act”, the Government of India and its army chief have blurred the lines between a “fascist regime and a so-called democratic one” and shamed those Indians and people of the world who are shocked and appalled by this military approach to deal with a people’s movement.
Mirwaiz termed the silence maintained by the pro-India local partner of the ruling regime—PDP as criminal and shameful and said they are equally accountable for the inhumanity and cruelty inflicted upon the people of Kashmir.
“Despite the fact that authorities have declared war and are using no holds barred brute force against innocent students, young boys and girls are hitting the streets in uniforms demanding only their basic birthright, which is right to self-determination,” he said.
