Srinagar, Oct 23 (KNS): Chairman of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Muhammad Yasin Malik along with many others was Tuesday detained by police when he was leading a protest march against what they termed as ongoing Indian oppression in Kashmir, a spokesman said.
JKLF Spokesman in a statement issued to KNS said those arrested including Yasmin Raja, Javed Ahmad Mir, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, Ghulam Muhammad Dar, Sheikh Muhammad Afzal, Imtiyaz Ahmad Dar, Muhammad Hanif Dar, Imtiyaz Ahmad Ganie and Imtiyaz Ahmad Shah have been shifted to police station Kothi-bagh where they are still lodged.
Earlier, Malik who was in hiding for last two days to evade police arrest, managed to reach Masjid-I-Hamza Koker-bazar, before the Fajr prayers.
Various JKLF leaders and activists and people from many walks of life including respected ladies also managed to reach Koker-bazar from where they took out a dignified protest rally towards Clock tower (Ghanta Ghar) led by JKLF chairman.
Police along with CRPF and other forces has laid a complete siege around Srinagar center and barricades, razor wire, police vehicles had been placed at every entry and exit point with thousands of personal deployed to stop JRL march against ‘ongoing Indian state terrorism’ in Kashmir, the statement said.
The spokesman added that police even had cordoned off the Hamza Masjid to stop Malik from leading this march but participants stiffly resisted police ‘highhandedness’ and managed to reach near clock tower where hundreds of policemen and forces personal overpowered them and arrested JKLF chairman and others.
Prior to his arrest, Malik addressed media persons and condemned the ‘ongoing oppression by Indian colonial’ forces especially the killing spree.
“Genocide of Kashmiri youth has been expedited by Indian rulers with the help of their abettors and this genocide has now taken an alarmingly ugly turn. They first kill our young and old in cold blood and then put ban on even mourning’s which speaks volumes about the cunning attitude of Indian state towards humans in Kashmir,” asserted Malik.
He said that “if this genocide and killings with impunity are not stopped immediately, Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) should be left with no other option but to ask people to launch a full-fledged people’s agitation against it.”
Malik said that Kashmir has been turned into a slaughter-house where killing humans is being celebrated by propagators of Ahimsa. “What Kulgam witnessed on 21st October at the hands of Indian tyrants who are treating Kashmir as their conquered colony, is nothing but butchery and what is more tragic is the callousness of political leaders and champions of democracy who even did not utter a word on Kulgam carnage,” he said.
He said that “on one hand they claim democracy and freedom of speech and on the other hand have unleashed a reign of terror to stop a peaceful political and democratic protest announced by JRL today.”
“This is the real face of so-called Indian democracy in Jammu Kashmir which is suppressing people’s voices by military aggression and naming it democracy,” Malik added.
“If India and its authorities in Jammu Kashmir believe in democracy and freedom of speech, why are they so scared to allow people from protesting peacefully,” asked JKLF chief.
He said that today as JRL had called for a peaceful sit-in at Lal Chowk against Kulgam massacre, ongoing killing spree, custodial killings, killing of pregnant mother along with her fetus, crackdowns, Spree of arrests, beatings, humiliations and other acts of oppression by Indian army, SOG, forces and police, but the biggest democracy besieged whole Kashmir especially centre of Srinagar (Lal Chowk), arrested hundreds of political activists and used all its force to put a halt on JRL peaceful program.
“This undemocratic, unethical and inhuman attitude of India should serve as an eye opener to international community and right thinking Indians too,” he said, adding that “Indian tyranny and oppression has crossed every limit now and Kashmiris cannot accept this silently anymore and if it is not stopped immediately, people of Kashmir will have no choice but to launch a forceful agitation against oppressors.”
He said that Kashmiris cannot be cowed down by tyrannical acts of India and our march to achieve freedom and right to self-determination will continue till the achievement of the goal. (KNS)