Srinagar, May 20: Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Geelani on Sunday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state of Jammu and Kashmir as “mere military operation”.
“Converting the whole city into an Army garrison, curbing and curtailing the movement of common people, suffocating the whole nation and then sarcastically labeling the state of Jammu and Kashmir as the ‘crown’, is nothing but to befool the people,” he said.
In a statement issued to media, Geelani said that Kashmir problem is not an issue of economic deprivation and perks and packages are not a solution to it.
“It is an issue concerning the basic and fundamental rights of more than 14 million humans- but beating the drum of ‘Development’ as the only remedy for all the issues—looks not only unrealistic but insane as well,” he said.
“No nation has been enslaved through economic privileges and developmental lollypops. One who thinks so is either unaware of the history or lives in a fool’s paradise. If India garnishes ours roads with gold and builds castles of Diamonds and Gems, People of Jammu and Kashmir will never accept and legitimize the forced Indian occupation,” Geelani said.
He said that “Indian premier has deliberately shied away from the historical facts, he has not bothered to go through India’s own freedom movement”.
“Otherwise he would have come across, the fact that development, like roads and building, markets and mansions, came up only under Mughal and British rule and even today’s India is recognized and known for the remnant of that era. Had the economic reforms and development been able to lure the aspirants of freedom—India would have been contented with that glorious slavery,” he said.
