Srinagar, Jan 21: A complete shutdown was on Monday observed in Lal Chowk, Maisuma, Gaw Kadal and its adjoining areas to mark the 29th anniversary of Gaw Kadal massacre, that several civilians dead on this day in the year 1990.
Joint Hurriyat comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik had called for a complete shutdown in Gaw Kadal and adjacent areas today against the Gaw Kadal massacre.
Eye witnesses saidthat authorities had also imposed restrictions in and around Gaw Kadal, Maisuma and others areas.
All the shops and business establishments remained closed throughout the day in the areas including Mandir Bagh, Maisuma, Basant Bagh, Gaw Kadal, Red Cross Road, Exchange Road, Budshah Chowk, Abi Guzar, Residency Road, MA Road, Sarai Bala, Court Road, Koker Bazar, Hari Sigh High Street, Goni Khan and Polo View while as the traffic was also thin on the roads.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik was detained from his residence in this morning. Malik was scheduled to lead a protest rally today.
Joint Hurriyat holds memorial meeting at massacre site
Srinagar, Jan 21: Despite police foiling Joint Hurriyat protest, many of its leaders and activists on Monday managed to gather at Basant Bagh and held a memorial meeting near the site of 21st January 1990 massacre at Basanat Bagh Gaw-Kadal.
According to Joint Hurriyat, police on Sunday evening laid a tight siege around whole Lal Chowk and adjacent areas, erected barricades, imposed curfew and restrictions in and around Gawkadal, Nai-Sadak, Basant-Bagh, Maisuma, Budshah Chowk, Burbarshah, Chotabazar,
Despite strict vigil, pro-freedom leaders managed to reach and gather near the martyr’s memorial at Basant- Bagh and held a peaceful protest program.
Meanwhile, Joint Hurriyat comprising of Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, has paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of Gaw Kadal massacre on their 29th martyrdom anniversary.
“21st January is an important day of Kashmirs 5000 year old history. On this day thousands of unarmed people came out of their houses to demand freedom and right to self-determination and protested against the crackdown of Indian forces that had been started from Guru-Bazar, Kani-Kadal, Chota-Bazar .These peaceful people were showered with bullets by Indian forces and police killing more than fifty of them on spot and injuring hundreds of others,” Joint Hurriyat said.
UJC pays tributes
Srinagar, Jan 21: United Jihad Council (UJC) chief Syed Salahuddin on Monday paid glorious tributes to martyrs of the massacres of Gawkadal and Handwara and said their memories are still afresh in our minds and hearts.
The UJC chief also expressed concern over the “ill-treatment” of Kashmiri political prisoners in J&K and outside State jails, terming it the “grave violation of human rights”.
Syed Salahuddin, who is also the chief of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, as per the statement, made these remarks while chairing a high-level meet of UJC. Glorious tributes were paid to martyrs of Gawkadal, Handwara and Budgam massacres.
“In 1990, the then Governor Jagmohan started massacring Kashmiris thinking they will surrender and stop fighting for freedom but that didn’t happen. Kashmiris didn’t surrender before tyranny and oppression and continued their struggle for freedom. The day is not far when the sacrifices of the martyrs will yield results,” he said. (GNS)
