Moderate Hurriyat concerned over rise of communal forces

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 29

Concerned over the plight of Kashmiri prisoners, the Hurriyat is mulling to write a letter to UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon to apprise him about what it calls “the miserable condition” of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails in Kashmir and outside the state.

The amalgam said it was also concerned over the “rise of communal and sectarian forces” in the region and it had become imperative to devise a strategy to counter the rise of such forces.

The amalgam issued this statement today at the end of a joint meeting of the Hurriyat’s executive council, general council and working committee members at its Rajbagh office here, which was presided over by moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The meeting was called to discuss the ongoing political situation and organisational matters, the statement said.

“While stressing upon adopting ideological unity on political and organisational fronts, the participants stated that the situation in South Asia, including Kashmir, emerging out of the sectarian and communal thinking is an extreme cause of concern since it is influencing the thinking of people to a great extent and subsequently their actions as well,” the Hurriyat said.

It said the participants expressed concern over the “aggressive posturing of communal forces” in India and the way they were pursuing their communal agendas.

“As such, the participants stated that it has become imperative on the leadership to take people in confidence and formulate a comprehensive strategy to counter such threats posed by the communal forces and their agendas,” it said, while “stressing” that Kashmiris have “always rejected politics based on communalism”.

The Hurriyat also “appealed” to international human rights organisations “to look into the condition of Kashmiri prisoners who are being denied even the basic amenities”.