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JKLF announces hunger strike against ghettos for Pandits

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 4/12/2015 1:51:54 PM

SRINAGAR, Apr 11: JKLF today announced a 30-hour long hunger strike from April 18 in protest against the “separate settlements in Kashmir for Pandits.”
In a statement, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik said people of Kashmir cannot remain silent spectators over the conspiracies that are being hatched to divide people in the name of faith. “Construction of Israeli type settlements will promote only hatred. JKLF will organise a 30-hour long symbolic hunger strike and seminar on April 18 and 19 against these conspiracies. People of Kashmir rising above their religious and ideological affiliations have shown their resentment against separate homeland plan for Pandit brethren and today’s historical protest strike is a glaring example of this resistance,” he said.
Yasin stated that protest march and sit-in on Friday was a glaring example of Kashmiri religious harmony as Pandits, Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims jointly protested against the idea of constructing separate settlements for Pandit brethren. He said that this protest was peaceful but police and forces by shelling teargas, pepper gas and resorting to worst kind of state sponsored violence tried to suppress the people’s voice.
Hailing people of Kashmir for today’s peaceful strike, Yasin said that the state government has started implementing RSS agenda on Kashmir but they should know that this is very dangerous and will yield them nothing but shame. “Kashmiri Muslims believe that Pandits are a part and parcel of this land and their return will be a matter of joy for us but construction of Israeli type settlements and separate homeland colonies in their name is a dangerous policy of rulers who want to divide us in the name of religion and sect. We all should realise that rulers are trying to promote permanent hatred between us and that is why people living in Kashmir have stood unanimously against this conspiracy and have said no to this dangerous plan,” Yasin said.
He added that those justifying these separate colonies in the name of security and safety of Pandits’ are living in fool’s paradise. “These people must know that thousands of tourists visit every nook and corner of Kashmir every year without any fear or threat. We Kashmiris welcome millions of Hindu Yatris every year and provide them every logistic support and these people feel at home in Kashmir. Same is the case with those thousands of non Muslims who are living in Mohallas and villages of Kashmir without any fear or security problem. In 2008 when we were being blockaded by bunch of extremists in Jammu, we took care of our Hindu pilgrims and others and with grace of Allah almighty nobody among them was harmed. All these examples are glaring evidence that non Muslims have no security threat in Kashmir and rulers are only trying to befool people in the name of security and safety,” the JKLF chairman said.