[Reader-list] Amarnath row reignites Azadi sentiments

[Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्]

[As published this morning]


Amarnath row reignites azadi sentiment

Shivam Vij / Srinagar
Sakaal Times / 3 July
http://epaper.sakaaltimes.com


The writing on the wall is clear: The Kashmiri demand for independence
from India is not over yet. Separatist leaders and commoners alike
have hailed the withdrawal of the land transfer order as the victory
of the Kashmiri people and called to revitalise the azadi movement.

This is clearly a turning point in the 20-year-old militant struggle.
There is also talk of boycotting the coming assembly polls and
reunification of the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference. The mood
was reflected in every local daily's frontpage headlines. PEOPLE WIN,
said Greater Kashmir. Kashmir Savours Victory, said the Kashmir
Observer. Kashmir win, said Amroze Kashmir. VICTORY! said Etalaat.
People win, Order revoked, said Kashmir Monitor.

The emphasis that it was a people's agitation rather than one of
leaders is shared by everyone. The sentiment is shared by every taxi
driver, shopkeeper, houseboat-owner, journalist — too widespread to be
brushed away as anybody's political gimmick. The agitation was lead by
the ACALT committee which had, apart from Hurriyat leaders, apolitical
religious leaders, representatives from trade and transporters'
organisation's, the Kashmir Chambers of Commerce and the Bar Council.

Vehement support was given by the Valley's Sikhs and most Kashmiri
Pandit organisations as well. The biggest winner is Hurriyat leader
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who was the first to begin mobilising the
public with a signature campaign. In a press conference on Wednesday,
he emphasised: "This punctures New Delhi's theory that our movement is
standing on Pakistani support," he said, adding, "did you see a single
agitator using violence?" "The movement lives on in the hearts and
minds of the people," he told Sakaal Times.

The relatively smooth rule of the PDP-Congress coalition and the
decline in militancy had led observers to believe that people's
participation in polls could increase. "Nobody will vote now," said
Etalaat editor Zahiruddin. In fact NC's Omar Abdullah is believed to
have said as much to the NSA in his meeting with him in Delhi.

"Mainstream politicians in the Valley who believed the movement was on
its deathbed have got a rude jolt," he said. "This is very unpleasant
for the Indian government and intelligence agencies who were already
talking of a postconflict scenario," says human rights activist Parvez
Imroz.