SRINAGAR:The government’s proposal of constructing Sainik Colonies for servicemen and setting up of clusters for migrant Kashmiri Pandits in Valley seems to have united the divided separatists, who are now mulling joint strategy to oppose the controversial moves of the PDP-BJP government headed by Mehbooba Mufti.
Pro-independence JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik today called on hardliner separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani at his Hyderpora residence in Srinagar.
The two leaders having different ideologies don’t meet too often.
“Malik and Geelani joined by many other separatist leaders discussed the establishment of Sainik Colonies, separate townships for migrant Pandits, New Industrial policy which allows granting lease of land for 90 years to non-state subjects, construction of shelters for non-state labourers and NEET,” said Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of Geelani.
He said in the two-hour long meeting, it was decided that separatist groups will jointly oppose the implementation of RSS agendas and an effective course of action will be formulated in this regard.
Akbar said both Geelani and Malik unanimously agreed that “do or die” – like situation has been created for the Kashmiris and “any negligence in this regard will have serious consequences”.
“The two leaders were of the opinion that if people don’t oppose it, our condition will be similar to that people in Palestine, where Palestinians have been rendered homeless in their own land,” he said adding both asserted that Kashmiris will do everything to safeguard their struggle, individuality and Muslim identity and separatist leadership will be at frontline of this movement.
Geelani and Malik alleged that policy makers of India want to change the demography of J&K and for this purpose the government will use its entire force and machinery. “PDP is extending its every possible support to the RSS and this party has sold the entire Kashmiri nation for the chair of power,” they said.
Earlier, moderate separatist leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had also pitched for unity among the separatist leaders as “people in power in Srinagar and New Delhi are using all possible tactics to break the resolve of Kashmiris”.
“In the name of Pandit and Sainik Colonies, these people are trying to damage the disputed character of J&K and weaken Kashmiris economically and politically by executing these plans,” he said.
Mirwaiz said unity among the separatists has foiled the designs of “oppressors” in the past. “We will unite and fight again,” he added.
The J&K government has already clarified that it has not allotted land for setting up of Sainik Colony for servicemen in the Valley and controversial industrial policy will be revisited. It has also clarified that it does not want to settle migrant Kashmiri Pandit in ghettos in Kashmir .