Srinagar, Mar 2: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Saturday urged Government of India to reconsider its ban on Jamaat-e-Islami.
In a series of tweets, Omar said inspite of the difference his party and JeI had, he cannot support the ban or the recent crackdown on the latter.
“The @JKNC_ has always had a difficult relationship with the Jamaat in J&K and have often been on different sides of the ideological divide. In spite of these differences, I cannot support the recent crackdown against them,” he tweeted.
“After the outbreak of turmoil the organisation was banned for more than 5 years in 1990 but that ban served no purpose & achieved nothing,” another of tweet read.
“In the battle of ideas & ideologies we in the @JKNC_ have always opposed the Jammat in the political space. The recent ban & crackdown against their leadership, members, schools & properties will serve no purpose except to drive their activities underground,” he added.
The centre, Omar said, should reconsider its recent decision.
“The situation in J&K had improved drastically between 1996 and 2014/15 without having to resort to such bans. There is nothing to suggest that this ban will in any way contribute to any improvement on the ground,” Omar said.
The government late last month launched a crackdown on JeI leaders arresting hundreds of its members including the organisation’s top leaders.
It was followed by the home ministry decree on Thursday declaring JeI and unlawful organisation for five years for allegedly “indulging in activities, which are prejudicial to internal security and public order, and have the potential of disrupting the unity and integrity of the country”.
The JeI has a cadre base of around 6,000 members in the state. Fallah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), a JeI run NGO, manages a network of over 300 schools.
Needs to put collective narrative against it: Geelani
Srinagar, Mar 2: Hurriyat (G) Conference chairman and the eldest member of Joint Hurriyat Leadership, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Saturday said there was need to put a “collective narrative” against the Government of India’s move to ban Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), the decades old religio-political organisation in the valley.
Geelani in a statement said that people in general and ‘pro-freedom’ camp in particular need to put a collective narrative against the move.
“Otherwise if we turn a blind eye to the onslaught on our basic and fundamental rights, the day will not be too far when we all will be kicked out of our residences to accommodate their majority, same way the Israeli Zionist have done in Palestine,” Geelani said in the statement.
Condemning the “unethical and undemocratic” act, Geelani said that “falsely blaming on a recognised party is in itself a blot on the democracy.”
He said that every political or religious party has their own narrative of the political instability and decade-old dispute of Jammu and Kashmir and they serve their ideologies within the contours of the law and Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir is propagating their manifesto accordingly as all others do.
“Those who can push their poor population to the flames of nuclear war can go to any extent to retain power,” said the Hurriyat (G) chairman.
Meanwhile, Geelani was shocked and saddened to hear about the tragic road accidents at Udhampur and Kishtwar where about 13 people lost their lives and dozens got injured.
He said although death has a fixed date and time and every life has to perish, such tragedies are unfortunate and shocking.
He prayed for eternal peace of departed souls and wished the injured, speedy recovery. He also condoles to the bereaved families for their irreparable loss.
Geelani also condoled the demise of mother of Ghulam Qadir Bhat (Gushi Kupwara) who is languishing in jail for the last 15 years. Hurriyat chairman said that we share the grief with bereaved family and pray for eternal peace of deceased and courage for the family to bear this painful loss.
