Democracy biggest casualty in Kashmir: Mirwaiz

Srinagar, Nov 16: Chairman of Hurriyat (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said that Hurriyat believed in democracy but not in the one prevalent in Kashmir.
Addressing gatherers during Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid Mirwaiz said that the elections in Kashmir were a “drama”.
“Kashmir will once again reject the sham polls commencing from November 17 in the same way they out rightly rejected the Urban Local Body polls and send a message to one and all that people of Kashmir reject farcical exercises,” he said.
Mirwaiz added that holding elections has “no meaning” for in a place where all basic human democratic political and even religious rights of people are “trampled are usurped through military might”.
“Where democracy itself is the biggest casualty, in such a place what can local or any election achieve,” he asked.
Mirwaiz said a “strange kind of democracy” is in practice in Kashmir.
“At the behest of lakhs of state forces present here with unbridled powers given to them and absolute immunity from all accountability. They can barge into any house and kill anybody at their whim and will and or tie a civilian to jeeps as human shields and be rewarded for it,” he said.
Mirwaiz said no one was averse to elections since it is an established democratic practice across the globe where people exercise their choice and decide who and how they want to be ruled.
“But in Kashmir that is not the case. It is used as a means to continue forced rule,” he said adding that elections will continue to be “futile exercise in Kashmir unless democracy is not restored and allowed to flourish in the real sense”.
“And the first step to that is to allow people of disputed J&K to decide their fate by giving them the basic right to self-determination,” he added.
Mirwaiz urged people to observe complete strike on November 17 and to follow the Joint Hurriyat’s protest and shutdown program announced for the poll bound areas on Election Days.
Meanwhile after Friday prayers Mirwaiz visited the residence of Hurriyat (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani’s to condole the demise of his eldest son-in –law Ghulam Hassan Makhdoomi, who passed away recently after a brief spell of illness at SKIMS, Soura.
Mirwaiz also offered special fateh prayers for the deceased and prayed for highest standards in Jannah for him.