'Geelani’s letter an eye-opener, he has admitted Kashmir used for personal gains'

Director General of Police (J&K) Dilbagh Singh Tuesday said that the former chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani has admitted in a letter sent by him to his all constituents that the “path choosen by him was wrong and people were using it for personal gains while the mission they were pursuing has failed.”

DGP Singh while speaking to reporters after inaugurating the state-of art women police station at Rajouri, said: “Geelani’s letter to his constituents is an eye-opener. He has admitted that they have miserably failed their mission and Kashmir issue was used by the people for their personal gains. He has confessed that his path was wrong, and they were propagating negative thinking.”

The DGP said that in the letter Geelani has shot to his constituents, the aged leader is “crying hoarse” how drugs are being traded from LoC to this side. On Monday, the former chairman of the Hurriyat Conference announced parting ways from the “Hurriyat forum” citing the prevailing situation as the reason. In his separate letter sent to the Hurriyat constituents, the aged leader had stated that some people sitting across LoC were luring Kashmiri youth towards drugs and the “drugged youth were not in their senses”.

The former Hurriyat chairman had also stated that the “Kashmir’s freedom struggle was reduced to mere drug abuse and serving Pakistan’s interests. He had also accused some people in the amalgam of resorting to “financial irregularities and taking decisions on behalf of him (Geelani) without his consent.”

Replying to a query whether there was any deadline set by the security forces to wipe out militancy from Kashmir in the coming months and to declare entire J&K as militancy free, the DGP said that since Pakistan continues to push in militants, no time frame or deadline can’t be set for wiping out militancy. “But our efforts are to clean areas gradually from militancy. Yesterday, a last surviving militant from Doda district was killed in an encounter with the result Doda district is militancy free,” he said.

About the successful anti-militancy operations in Kashmir, he said that this year so far 128 militants have been killed including the one ISJK militant who was involved in the recent Bijbehara, Anantnag attack in which a CRPF man and a minor boy were killed.

“This is for the first time in the past many years that in the ensuing month of June 48 militants have been killed,” he said as per KNO.

The DGP said that given the inputs that Pakistan is trying to push in militants from traditional infiltration routes, security forces are going to further strengthen the counter infiltration grid on the LoC and the international border in Jammu. “Earlier, a group of Jaish men were killed at Nagrota. The militants were using Kathua and Poonch sector in Jammu. We are now strengthening our border grid on IB and LoC in Jammu and in Kashmir in Keran, Uri, Karnah as well.

We have reports that militants are trying to use Machil and Gurez routes also to get into this side,” he said. The DGP said that security forces are ready to foil all the possible infiltration bids both on LoC and IB.

Senior separatist leader and the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani resigned as chairman of All party Hurriyat conference on Monday (June 29).

The statement read, "Chairman All party Hurriyat conference Janab Ali Geelani Sayed has announced total separation from the forum of All party Hurriyat Konfranse. He said, I had sent a detailed letter to the Hurriyat members of the forum stating that in keeping in view the current situation of the Hurriyat Conference, I announce total separation for this forum."

In his detailed letter to the members of the Hurriyat Conference, Geelani has said that henceforth he shall not be answerable in any manner about the future conduct of the constituent members of the platform.

Hurriyat Conference was formed on March 9, 1993 as a united political platform of the separatist parties in Kashmir. Ten years after its formation, the Hurriyat Conference split into the moderate group headed by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and the hardline group headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Not keeping good health, Geelani has mostly remained under house arrest in his Srinagar’s Hyderpora area for the past over eight years. Before that also authorities used to detain him on and off under house arrest to maintain law and order in Kashmir. In a separate statement issued by Geelani, he accused some people of luring Kashmiri youth to drugs and promoting narco-trade and changing the discourse of Kashmir movement.

Interestingly, Geelani tweet that “this was a movement of our faith and freedom. Unfortunately some people sitting across LoC steered our youth to abyss of drugs. Our drugged youth generation has lost senses. Instead of Kashmir’s freedom movement, this is now a struggle of Pakistan’s interest and drugs.”

Geelani’s surprising move has triggered a storm in political circles and also on the social media with BJP cashing in on the development terming as a victory of Government of India and the direct outcome of roll back of Article 370.

"I sent messages to you through various means so that the next course of action could be decided but all my efforts (to get in touch) went in vain. Now that the sword of accountability is hanging over your heads for the financial and other irregularities, you thought of calling the advisory committee meeting," he alleged.

Geelani said he was forced by the constituent parties in 2003 to take over the reins of the Hurriyat Conference and was made its lifetime chairman later.

"The lack of discipline and other shortcomings were ignored and you did not allow a robust accountability system to be established over the years but today, you have crossed all limits and indulged in rebellion against the leadership," he added.

Geelani, 90, who has been under house arrest since August 2019, reportedly distanced himself from All party Hurriyat Conference due to certain reasons which made him take the decision.

Geelani has not issued any statement about his membership in own party Tehreek Hurriyat Conference, which is headed by Mohammad Ashraf Sehari. Ashraf Sehari's son Junaid Sehari was a top commander of Hizbul and was killed during an encounter in Kanimazar area of Srinagar.

All Party Hurriyat Conference is an amalgam of all separatist groups in Kashmir.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday welcomed the resignation of top separatist leader, Syed Ali Geelani from Hurriyat Conference and said the termed his decision as better late than never.’ The party also blamed Geelani for “ruining the lives of thousands of Kashmiri youth and families.”

BJP General Secretary, Ram Madhav in a tweet blamed Geelani for ruining the lives of thousands of Kashmiri youth and families, saying that the leader has pushed Valley into ‘terror’ and violence.

Madhav further asked that after resigning from Hurriyat without giving any reason, does it absolve the senior separatist leader of all the past sins.

“This man was singularly responsible for ruining the lives of thousands of Kashmiri youths and families; for pushing Valley into terror n violence. Now resigns from Hurriyat without giving a reason. Does it absolve him of all d past sins?,” Madhav tweeted.
Heart wrenching video of a kid after he lost his grandfather in a militant attack on the paramilitary forces in Sopore. police party reached the spot & rescued this three-year-old boy. One CRPF trooper and a civilian were killed in the attack.

Reported By Wahid Bhat, He is a Journalist based in Jammu and Kashmir.

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