Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani plans to press ahead with the protest calendar unless the Indian government accedes to the five conditions he had spelt out in late August, the primary one being that Kashmir be accepted as an international dispute.
Speaking exclusively to this newspaper on Tuesday at his Hyderpora residence, where he is currently under house arrest, Mr Geelani declared that the protest calendar would be reviewed or reconsidered only if the five conditions are “agreed and accepted by the Indian government”.
The Hurriyat Conference hardliner, however, refused to comment on the suggestion made jointly by moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chief Yasin Malik to set up a Kashmir Committee each in India and Pakistan comprising representatives from political parties.
Mr Geelani also said that the visit by the all-party delegation was a “test” for its members. “What will be their report on the visit. Will it be realistic, will it be based on the ground realities here is to be seen,” he remarked.
The Hurriyat’s protest calendar has seen life come to a grinding halt in the Valley quite often in recent months. As per the calendar, the Valley’s residents are expected to work from seven in the evening to seven in the morning instead of during the day on days when a strike has been called.
However, as Mr Geelani complained, “India is not paying any heed to these five conditions. People had been hoping that these conditions would have been discussed at the all-party meeting in New Delhi last week.
However, he said he was “watching and waiting” for New Delhi’s response to the five conditions. Among these are the beginning of the process of “complete demilitarisation” in Kashmir, no further killings and arrests, punishment for those responsible for the recent killings in the Valley, the release of children and political prisoners and a
public commitment by PM Manmohan Singh that troops will be asked to exercise restraint.
The Hurriyat hardliner also reiterated his known stand on resolving the Kashmir issue. “Any dialogue on Kashmir should be at a tripartite level and India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people should be involved in it,” he stated. Asked if he wanted the five conditions accepted by a certain date, the octogenarian said, “No deadline has been given.”