[Reader-list] Hurriyat reaches out to Amarnath yatris

[Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्]

Hurriyat reaches out to Amarnath yatris

Nazir Masoodi
Friday, July 4, 2008 (Srinagar)
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080055636&ch=7/4/2008%204:05:00%20PM


Political parties are the ones that are left red-faced in the entire
Amarnath shrine land controversy.

There was ample proof of this at the base camp where pilgrims and the
Hurriyat came together albeit briefly sending out the same message -
stop using us as scapegoats to further your votebank politics.

There were conciliatory gestures by the separatists for the at the
Amarnath Yatra camp at Baltal, ground zero of the land dispute.

The yatris returned the warmth showing that politics of hate cannot
destroy centuries old bonds.

''Don't divide Hindus and Muslims. Don't push us to fight against each
other for your vote bank,'' said Ashok Gupta, a devotee.

''I personally came here to assure them that you do not need security
from the state. Every Kashmiri Muslim is your security,'' said Yasin
Malik, chairman, JKLF.

Hurriyat leaders tried to reassure the pilgrims that the fight for
land was motivated by Kashmiri nationalism not religion.

''Even after people were killed and injured here, everyone made it
sure that no non-local whether tourist or a yatri was harrased,'' said
Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

The Hurriyat leaders reached out to the Amarnath yatris with a message
that the people of the valley will continue to support the yatra and
their protests against the forestland transfer to the Amarnath Shrine
Board at Baltal is not about communal divides.

However, the people of Kashmir have already made their statement. When
images of anger and violence were coming out of the Valley for over a
week, locals were silently helping the stranded yatris.