Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday termed the army’s ‘remarkable year’ remark on militant killings in 2018 as “extremely unfortunate and inhuman.”
Addressing a gathering at the historic Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz called it strange that a well-trained armed force meant to fight another well trained armed force was “celebrating and patting its back on killing young men and boys, some as young as 14, while some budding intellectuals and academics, and calling it remarkable.”
“…army’s boasting of the killings of militants, who are not some hard core armed guerillas and terror mongers, but sentiment driven youth forced to take to arms as a consequence of severe repression due to forcible control,” said the Mirwaiz, according to a statement.
“It is simply the intensity of their passion that drives these young boys, who are poorly trained and starved of ammunition to be able to give a real fight, in this greatly unequal battle to an armed force of a country,” Mirwaiz said.
While the incumbent Governor has said that Govt does not want to kill militants but militancy,if it is so and they are sincere then Govt should address the cause that is leading these educated young boys to take to arms,start a political process in Ernest to address the sentiment pic.twitter.com/tF7ClBu7PH
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) January 18, 2019
He said the pain and loss that all of Kashmir feels at the killings of militants only adds to people’s resolve and pushes more young to join in.
“Instead of admitting this, the armed force of a country that prides itself in the history of its freedom struggle by honoring the likes of Subhash Chander Bose who raised Indian National Army to fight the British colonial rule , sells the killing of these armed youth as a great achievement to people of India,” he said.
The chief cleric said many in Indian army have in their write ups and lectures admitted that Jammu and Kashmir is a political problem that has to be resolved as such.
“Those who are using militarization to prolong the status quo should understand that it comes with a cost and keeps increasing complexities,” said the Mirwaiz, adding that the whole world has said that there can be no military solution to the dispute.
On Governor Satya Pal Malik’s statement that the government does not want to kill militants but militancy, Mirwaiz said: “If it is so and they are sincere then government should address the cause that is leading these educated and young boys to take to arms.”
Calling for a political process to resolve the issue, Mirwaiz said: “…start a political process in earnest to address the sentiment behind it and resolve the dispute. It will not only save the lives of our youth but soldiers also, end militarization and the resultant atrocities that governor sahab wants (JRL) leadership to convey to him, and end the uncertainty and hostility that the region is hostage to for past 71 years.”
(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Patriot staff and re-published here in public interest with the intention of dissemination of information )
