Srinagar, Jan 21: (GNS) “Proclaiming democracy on one hand and using police might to stop peaceful gatherings and tribute assemblies on the other hand are two contradictory things. United India during its struggle for freedom from British occupation witnessed only one Jalianwala Bagh massacre but Kashmiris have witnessed dozens of such massacres carried out by Indian occupational forces from 1990 till today,” said the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik on Monday while remembering the Gawkadal massacre of 21 January 1990.
The JRL in a statement issued to GNS said that 21 January 1990 is a historical day when Kashmiris resisted Indian bullets but refused to budge before “tyranny and falsehood”.
Despite heavy police restrictions, curfew in the whole area, arrest spree and other oppressive measures, JRL leaders and activists managed to gather at Basant Bagh and held a memorial meeting near the site of 21st January 1990 Gawkadal massacre, the statement said.
It said that to foil today’s peaceful program, police kept JRL leaders Syed Ali Geelani under house arrest while as they raided the residence of Muhammad Yasin Malik early morning and arrested him. He is lodged at police station Kothi Bagh. Police have also arrested Hurriyat leaders Bilal Ahmad Sideeqi, Hilal Ahmad Waar and many others.
The JRL said that besides resistance leaders and activists, people from different walks of life and admirers of selfless martyrs participated in today’s program. The memorial program was addressed by advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt, Ghulam Nabi Zaki, Muhammad Rafiq Shah Owaisi who paid rich tributes to these martyrs.
Meanwhile, recalling the “gallantry sacrifices rendered by selfless martyrs, JRL said that in 1990, Indian government deployed Jagmohan in Jammu Kashmir “with a purpose to kill, beat and humiliate Kashmiris”.
“Soon after his arrival in Kashmir, he started his criminal campaign from Gawkadal massacre that was followed by more massacres at Handwara, Kupwara, Hawal Srinagar, Sopore, Sailan Poonch, Zakura, By-pass Batamaloo, Magarmal Bagh, Baderwah, Marmat Doda, and Bijebihara, Hazratbal, Gojwara, Mashali Mohalla, Khanyaar, Dalgate etc in coming days and years,” the leaders said.
They said that the sole aim of India was to “terrorize people of Kashmir through these brutal massacres and put an end on their march towards freedom and right to self-determination but India failed in doing so in past and is bound to fail in future too”.
“People of Jammu Kashmir will continue their march towards freedom with passion and zeal despite all these harsh measures and the day is not far when Kashmiris will also achieve their right of self-determination and tyrants will have to seek apology from those oppressed,” the JRL said. (
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