[Reader-list] Scuffle near Hazratbal; Shabir Shah among 14 injured

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Dear Sonia
 
There is nothing surprising in the religious place Hazrartbal being the start-point for the 'victory' rally. It only reinforces the evaluation that the 'victory' was sought by one religion over the other. For those who achieved the 'victory', what better place to start the celebration than a Shrine/Mosque.
 
Our 'secular' commentators may spout various theories and analyses but those who were a part of that 'victory' were obviously honest about what they had achieved and in the name of which religion.   
 
Whether it has been the 1931 'bread movement' or the intense rivalry between the 'sher' (of Sheikh Abdullah) and 'bakra' (of Maulvi Farooq) or the Hurriyat (freedom/separatist) movement, the pulpits of both Hazratbal and Jama Masjid have been used as much for political speeches/sloganeering and calls for separatism as they have been for religious sermons.
 
It has always amused me to see Umar Farooq (as just one example among others) indulge in such political speeches/sloganeering from Jama Masjid, or visit and seek support from his Political Mecca of OIC (and/or Pakistan) and yet at the same time hypocritically claim that the "Hurriyat" movement is a secular one.
 
It has amused me more to see how easily the likes of Umar Farooq, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Shabbir Shah (and other Hurriyat 'moderates') are able to fool people into buying their 'secular' credentials.
 
My Kashmiri Pandit brethren might lynch me for saying this, but I have much more respect for the constant political position of someone like Hurriyati hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani (even if I disagree with his arguments) who is firm in his belief that J&K as Muslim Majority 'territory' should be a part of Pakistan.
 
I am sure you did not mean to equate the situations but I found it strange that you mentioned in the same breath the "peaceful... victory rally" starting from Hazratbal with "siege of Hazrat Bal in the early '90s or for that matter the siege of Charar e-Sharif in '95 or
for that matter the Golden Temple in the '80s". 
 
In all three 'siege' mentioned, there were bands of armed terrorists holed up inside the three religious places. Some might choose to call them 'freedom fighters' or "Mujahideen".
 
Kshmendra
 
 

--- On Sat, 7/5/08, S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:

From: S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Scuffle near Hazratbal; Shabir Shah among 14 injured
To: "Shivam Vij शिवम् विज् " <mail at shivamvij.com>, "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Saturday, July 5, 2008, 1:07 PM

I think you may want to ask why it was necessary to begin a victory rally
from a religious place and how any of us would have reacted if Advani were
to embark on another 'victory' rally from Somnath or Ayodhya. These
so-called victory rallies will only add fuel to the Jammu-Kashmir/
Hindu-Muslim conflagration.

Hazrat Bal and the Jama Masjid are not neutral sites and have been
politically charged ever since the 1930s when the Quit Kashmir movement was
launched against the Maharaja.  What must have started off as an equally
'peaceful' gathering turned violent and a man was killed.  That was
reason
enough for mass rioting.  You may be aware of the siege of Hazrat Bal in the
early '90s or for that matter the siege of Charar e-Sharif in '95 or
for
that matter the Golden Temple in the '80s.

The Hurriyat is not unaware that the state cannot risk a religious site
becoming another site of contestation.  It would try and control what in all
likelihood would turn into yet another communally charged and violent event.
And yet it decided to go ahead.  The stakes are high and I really don't
think anyone is above using religion to further their political ends.
--sj


On 7/5/08 12:43 PM, "Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्"
<mail at shivamvij.com> wrote:

> This is what happens when you prevent people from addressing
> peaceful
gatherings...


o o o o


Scuffle near Hazratbal; Shabir Shah among
> 14 injured

Special Correspondent, 5 July
> 2008
http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/05/stories/2008070559931300.htm

The clash
> followed prayers to celebrate the "victory" in the land transfer
> issue


SRINAGAR: Senior Hurriyat Conference leader Shabir Shah was among
> 14
people injured on Friday, following a scuffle between police and
supporters
> of separatist leaders after they offered prayers at the
Hazratbal shrine to
> celebrate the recent "victory" in the land
transfer issue.

The call for
> "Hazratbal Chalo" was given by Syed Ali Geelani, head of
a faction of the
> Hurriyat Conference and supported by Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq, head of another.
> However, both were placed under house arrest
by the police. Mr. Shah and other
> leaders, however, reached Hazratbal
amid heavy deployment of police and
> paramilitary CRPF and offered
prayers besides addressing the people.

Mr. Shah
> and Ashraf Sehrai, another senior leader denounced the
government for putting
> Mr. Geelani and Mr. Mirwaiz under house arrest.

A protester hurls back a tear
> smoke shell towards the police.

On their way back, Mr. Shabir Shah, Mr.
> Sehrai, Naeem Khan, Sheikh
Aziz, Shafi Reshi, Firdous Shah and others led a
> strong procession,
which was lathi-charged.

Fourteen people, including Mr.
> Shabir Shah, were injured. He was
shifted to the S.K. Institute of Medical
> Sciences (SKIMS) for
treatment.

Even as rumours spread that he was critical,
> Director SKIMS Abdul
Hamid Zargar told The Hindu that he was stable. Another
> procession
taken from Jamia Masjid and led by the head imam, was dispersed
> by
police with smoke shells. Many people were arrested. Another
> Hurriyat
leader Javed Mir was arrested when he tried to take out a
> procession
towards Hazratbal in Khanyar
> area.
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