Your heart may be beating for India, hearts of Kashmiris beat for Azadi: Geelani tells Farooq

* Dares him to come to Lal Chowk and utter same words before common Kashmiris

SYED ALI SAFVI

SRINAGAR, Aug 27: Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference (G) today asked Farooq to come to Lal Chowk and dare to speak in the same language in which he spoke in Lok Sabha during a debate on the unrest in Kashmir yesterday.

“If Farooq’s statement holds any water then why is India shying away from holding referendum in Kashmir,” said chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani while addressing a meeting of Majlis-e Shura of the conglomerate.

Union minister and National Conference president, Farooq Abdullah, had asserted that most people of the state wanted to be with India.

Geelani said that the basic demand of the conglomerate was that Kashmiris should be given the right to decide their future.

“I wonder if Farooq thinks that most people of the state want to be with India then what holds New Delhi back from holding referendum in the state,” he said.

He said that implementation of United Nations (UN) resolutions was one of the easiest and democratic solutions to the Kashmir imbroglio.

The meeting, which was held at Geelani’s Hyderpora residence, was attended by representatives of all constituents of the conglomerate. The marathon meeting discussed all aspects of the ongoing agitation and the conglomerate’s future strategies.

“Instead of speaking about Kashmir, he (Farooq) should be more concerned about his family’s wellbeing,” the octogenarian leader said. “It’s high time he understands that the land of Kashmir is slipping below his feet.”

He said that situation had become so hostile for Farooq’s son and chief minister, Omar Abdullah that he was not able to cover a distance from his Gupkar residence to SKIMS Soura by road, and he had to fly to SKIMS to avoid road journey.

“When he landed at SKIMS, he was heckled by a handful of people present there,” he said.

The Hurriyat Conference (G) challenged the senior Abdullah to come to Lal Chowk to gauge the amount of public anger, and then give lecture in the Parliament.

“Farooq’s heart may be beating for India, but hearts of hundreds and thousands of youth and children in Kashmir beat for Azadi,” he said.

Meanwhile, Majlis-e Shura has urged people to observe Shab-e Qadr and Eid-ul-Fitr in a very simple manner.

The meeting also urged bakers not to prepare bakeries for Eid-ul-Fitr. Similarly, butchers have also been asked to slaughter only required number of sheep and goats.

Meanwhile, Dukhtaran-e Millat chairperson, Asiya Andrabi, also condemned Farooq’s remarks and said that he was trying to please his masters in New Delhi.

“His (Farooq’s) remark that Kashmiris want autonomy is nothing but a bundle of lies,” she said. “By saying this he is only betraying himself.”

She said that the only demand of old and youth of Kashmir was that Kashmir should be freed from “Indian occupation”.

“Farooq’s assertion that India was in the hearts of Kashmiris may be true for his own household, but sacrifices of Kashmiris prove that they consider India as their enemy,” she said.