By: Johan Simith
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Srinagar, August 4: The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Friday warned the government not to force Kashmiri youth to become Fidayeens (suicide bombers), by responding to the peaceful protests with bullets. The Front chairman urged Kashmiris to keep the ongoing protests peaceful.
“I want to tell New Delhi and political leaders of India that they should not compel Kashmiri youth to become Fidayeens. The whole Kashmir is out on the roads, protesting peacefully, seeking right to choose their destiny. I urge the government of and world community that without wasting anytime start working for resolution of Kashmir. (But) they should keep one thing in mind that Kashmir will not be solved unless the aspirations of the people are kept in mind,” Malik told the Friday congregation here.
Terming youth as “leaders and soldiers” of the movement, Malik asked them to keep the ongoing movement peaceful. “A peaceful movement will be poisonous for India. Peaceful revolution is powerful than atom bomb. They have overthrown many governments in the past,” he said.
He said the ongoing movement in Kashmir witnessed a transitional shift from gun to peaceful protests. “India would always bring it up as an excuse that for talks it was necessary that the Kashmiri youth should give up their gun. Our movement witnessed a transition to peaceful protests. But India continues to crush our peaceful struggle with force and bullets,” he said.
Referring to the peaceful protests going on for the past three months, Malik said the state government has caged the people in their houses by clamping down frequent curfews and restrictions.
“Teenagers are being killed with bullets and beaten to death in police stations. They are accused of burning down the police stations and damaging government vehicles. Our youth are being targeted for taking over the reins of the ongoing movement from their elders. Sixty-five Kashmiris particularly teenagers and youth were killed during the past three months,” Malik said. “Even my house was targeted. My two relatives (nephew and maternal cousin) became the target of state violence. Our youth are out on the roads to talk about right to self determination but he is meted with bullets and lathis.”
He termed Kashmir youth as the “leader and the solider” of the ongoing movement. “He is the one who receive bullet on his chest and gives blood to the movement. He is the leader of the movement going on this time on the roads and streets of Kashmir,” Malik said.
He asked families of the persons killed during the past three months to get the cases of their dear ones registered in the police stations.(Writer-South Asia)
