{"id":13270,"date":"2018-12-06T08:18:44","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T02:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kashmir.today\/?p=13270"},"modified":"2018-12-06T08:18:44","modified_gmt":"2018-12-06T02:48:44","slug":"curbing-even-candlelight-protest-shows-why-youth-pick-up-arms-separatists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/?p=13270","title":{"rendered":"Curbing even candlelight protest shows why youth pick up arms: Separatists"},"content":{"rendered":"

Police says no ban on peaceful activities, but groups must seek permission first<\/i><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Srinagar:<\/i><\/strong> Accusing the authorities of launching a mass crackdown on resistance leaders, the separatist camp on Wednesday said the police have created a situation in the Valley in which even a candlelight march poses a threat to peace and in such an atmosphere youth are deliberately pushed to adopt violent<\/i> means.<\/p>\n

The separatist groups including Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Hurriyat Conference (G) and Hurriyat Conference (M), said that ever since the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) urged the people to observe the human rights week by holding peaceful protests\u2014December 3 to December 9\u2014the police launched a massive crackdown on the pro-freedom leadership.<\/i><\/p>\n

JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik was detained days before the commencement of ongoing Panchayat polls, Syed Ali Geelani continues to remain confined to his Hyderpora residence and Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was also caged.<\/i><\/p>\n

A JRL spokesman said that at least 30 pro-freedom leaders and activists are under detention apart from the top leadership. <\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThe JKLF chief\u2019s health deteriorated in police custody and he was hospitalised and is under observation of doctors at the SKIMS, Soura,\u201d he said.<\/i><\/p>\n

The JRL had asked people to follow its programs in a bid to attract the world community\u2019s attention towards \u201cKashmir\u2019s grim human rights situation\u201d.<\/i><\/p>\n

A source in the JRL said that the peaceful means of protests, which include torch and candle light marches during evening hours, wearing black badges on shoulders, and fixing black flags atop vehicles and shops was also a move to \u201ccheck how far alternate means to strikes would work\u201d.<\/i><\/p>\n

Talking to Greater Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar, who has been under house detention for the past several days, said the rulers have already snatched all the rights from the resistance leaders, be it political, social and religious. <\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cNow the right to protest too stands snatched,\u201d he said. <\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAt present, Kashmir is witnessing the ultimate form of oppression where human values stand trampled under the boots of military might with the result every single citizen of Kashmir is feeling insecure due to the fear that looms large in every corner of the Valley,\u201d he added.<\/i><\/p>\n

Mirwaiz said that since every other avenue for dissent for the youth \u201chas been squeezed\u201d, they have been pushed to the wall and forced to pick up arms to fight the \u201cworst form of state terrorism and oppression\u201d.<\/i><\/p>\n

He said even the Governor SP Malik-led administration disallowed a peaceful candle light procession.<\/i><\/p>\n

A JKLF spokesman said that those who participated in the peaceful candle light protest have either been detained or placed under house arrest. <\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom JKLF alone at least a dozen leaders have been detained by the police for participating in the candle light protest,\u201d he said. <\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAn atmosphere of fear is being created in Kashmir and every space is being choked where in even peaceful means of protest aren\u2019t allowed. In such an atmosphere, the youth are left with no choice other than to express their anger by picking up arms. So it is amply clear that it is the government that is responsible for pushing youth to the wall.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

He said a \u201cgradual process\u201d of disallowing peaceful protests in Kashmir started from 2008 after the then mass participation of people in peaceful street protests unnerved New Delhi.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to ask the Governor Malik what should he expect the Kashmiri youth to do when even holding a candle in hands poses a big threat?\u201d he said.<\/i><\/p>\n

Engineer Hilal War, whose Peoples Political Party (PPP) is a constituent of Hurriyat (M), said that December 10 is observed as the World Human Rights Day and it is a practice across the globe that peaceful rallies because they are guaranteed by the UN charter.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI believe Kashmir is the only place where even a small peaceful activity poses a threat to peace. Pro-freedom leadership is caged and youth are subjected to harassment or confinement if they raise voice. When the right to protest guaranteed by the UN stands choked, what is the option?\u201d War said. <\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIn such a situation, young lot can start exploring violent means of resistance and gun is the first choice that strikes their minds. It is high time for New Delhi to understand the gravity of the situation and take steps to resolve the conflict rather than flexing muscles by banking on its military might.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Javid Ahmed Mir, who heads the JKLF (H), said that the authorities with the direct support from the various security agencies are creating such an atmosphere in Kashmir where youth feel that \u201cpicking up arms is the only way out\u201d.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThe situation is deteriorating by the day. The youth are picking up guns knowing very well they would get killed. We are losing young boys just because there is no space for them to register their anger or to lodge their protest in a peaceful way,\u201d said Mir, who is also under house arrest. <\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIf any youth tries to protest in a peaceful manner he is booked under draconian Public Safety Act,\u201d he said.<\/i><\/p>\n

A police official said that there is no ban on the peaceful activity in Kashmir. \u201cWe don\u2019t disallow any peaceful protest. As far as holding candle light processions in Lal Chowk, there is a proper procedure that needs be followed which includes seeking permission from the deputy commissioner,\u201d the official said.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Police says no ban on peaceful activities, but groups must seek permission first Srinagar: Accusing the authorities of launching a mass crackdown on resistance leaders, the separatist camp on Wednesday said the police have created a situation in the Valley in which even a candlelight march poses a threat to peace and in such an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13269,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-union-territory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13270\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/index.php?rest_route=\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}