Geelani rejects talks with New Delhi

SYED ALI SAFVI

SRINAGAR, Dec 6: A day after chief minister, Omar Abdullah, asked separatists to enter into dialogue with New Delhi, veteran separatist leader and chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani, denied any talks with New Delhi until it recognized Kashmir as a dispute.

“Talks with India are futile until it stops treating Kashmir as integral part and accepts Kashmir as a dispute,” Geelani said.

He, however, said that the separatist leadership would continue to aware Indian masses about the plight of Kashmiris.

“We welcome all non-official delegations that want to meet us,” he maintained.

Lashing out at National Conference (NC) patron and union minister, Farooq Abdullah, Geelani said that the Abdullah dynasty was responsible for the sufferings of Kashmiris.

“He (Farooq) is a stooge of New Delhi. He does not even deserve my reply,” he said. “National Conference is entirely responsible for the miseries and sufferings of Kashmiris.”

Pertinently, Farooq had launched a scathing attack on Geelani yesterday.

“They send their children to foreign countries for education, but people are asked to boycott schools. Geelani takes chicken soup himself, but does not allow people to even have vegetables,” the senior Abdullah had said. “I wish I be there when he (Geelani) faces God.”

Hitting back at Farooq, Geelani said that NC and the Sheikh family had deceived Kashmiris at every crucial juncture.

“Had NC leadership not acted as Mir Jafars and Sadiqs of Kashmir, political instability would never have engulfed the subcontinent and India and Pakistan would have never been at loggerheads over Kashmir issue,” he said.

Asserting that Kashmir dispute was not the creation of Hurriyat Conference or Geelani, the octogenarian leader said that it was the creation of National Conference.

“Every student of history knows the fact that Sheikh Abdullah and National Conference’s treacherous politics gave birth to the problem of Kashmir,” Geelani said.

He said that had the NC leadership not converted Muslim Conference (MC) into National Conference (NC) in 1938 “at the instance of New Delhi”, Kashmir would have been a different story altogether.

“Had it (NC leadership) not validated the accession in 1947 in exchange for power, today our youth would not have been facing bullets,” he said.

He said the “oppression and “tyranny” unleashed by Sheikh Abdullah-led NC government from 1947 to 1953 was one of the most tragic phases in Kashmir history.

“During that period pro-freedom people were tortured or exiled,” he said. “Even tuning into Radio Pakistan was considered a punishable crime.”

Geelani said that during that period a Sopore youth, Ghulam Mohammad Bullah, was beaten to death at Srinagar’s Central jail.

“That was the first custodial killing in Kashmir.”

“It was the loss of power in 1953 that, according to its own leaders, forced NC to opt for political vagrancy for 22 long years,” he added.

The Hurriyat (G) chairman said that the same party accepted the seat of power “given in charity by New Delhi” in 1975 fro burying the public demand for a plebiscite in 1975.

Castigating Farooq, he said that when he was sworn as chief minister, Farooq proved to be a “comedian” instead of a “serious leader”.

Geelani said that it was Farooq who had signed the death warrant of “Shaheed” Maqbool Butt.

“Ironically, Farooq had taken oath with him (Butt) for liberating Kashmir,” Geelani said.

The veteran separatist leader said that when Farooq began to loose support in Kashmir, he “rigged” the 1987 assembly election.

“The rigging forced irate Kashmri youth to pick up guns,” he said.

He said when militancy was at its peak in 1996, Farooq stabbed in the back of Kashmiris by deciding to contest elections.

“Similarly, in 2008 when the entire Kashmir was up in anger against Indian occupation, Farooq again betrayed Kashmiris and without caring about the sacrifices of Kashmir youth, he decided to take part in elections,” he said.

He said that the “dreaded” Special Task Force (STF), responsible for the killings of thousands of innocent Kashmiris, was Farooq’s creation.

“Indian has only one reason for occupying Kashmir and that is Farooq Abdullah and his National Conference,” he said.

Geelani said that as long as he was alive he would continue to raise his voice against the “forceful occupation of Kashmir by India”.

“I will have no regret if I am taken to the gallows,” he said. “I’ll never betray my nation like Farooq Abdullah and NC,” he said.