Srinagar, May 08: Expressing grief over the death of a tourist, Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani on Tuesday said that “we have been shouldering the coffins of our loved ones on daily basis but never can be silent on this indiscipline and hooliganism, by some unruly youth.”
In a statement, Geelani said that Kashmir has been bleeding for decades. “…dance of death and destruction is a norm for us. Our fourth generation has grown amidst the barrel of gun. Losing a human life irrespective its caste, creed, colour, region or religion is sad and painful for us,” he said.
Sympathizing with the bereaved family, he said that words fall short to “console the family for such a tragic loss and we as a nation feel not only sorry but ashamed as well.”
“We are the worst sufferers of the state-terrorism, but that should not encourage us to be cruel and heartless ourselves. Our religion, culture and ethos teach us to respect humanity and we should always follow these golden rules in letter and spirit,” said Geelani.
The Joint Resistance Leadership also condemned the death of the tourist.
“The death of 22-year-old Chennai resident R Thirumani in a hospital here on Monday was unfortunate and had undermined our struggle,” Joint Hurriyat comprising of Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said in a statement.
“Tourists are our guests and we should be loyal to our Kashmiri and religious traditions by refraining from harassing them,” the statement added.
The leaders said the Valley has for years hosted tourists in the best traditions of Kashmiri hospitality. People in the Valley, the statement said, should refrain from destroying the basic fabric of Kashmiriyat in the state.
“Such incidents encourage the attempts of those who present our movement in a bad light internationally,” it added.
