Rakib Altaf
SRINAGAR, Sept 27: A general strike is being observed in Kashmir valley over a call by hardliner separatist, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, to protest against President Pranab Mukherjee’s three-day visit, the first one since his election to the country’s highest post in July.
Shops, schools and other business establishments are closed and traffic has been badly hit. Attendance at government office has also been affected.
Mukherjee is presiding over the Kashmir University’s 18th convocation today at its auditorium.
Authorities have blocked all roads leading to the university and police have been deployed in large numbers in the old city, known for violent anti-India protests. Police had to use force to disperse small groups of protesters in downtown capital who pelted them with stones.
An independent Member of the Legislative Assembly, Engineer Rasheed led a protests demonstration of a group of his supporters in the city, demanding clemency to 2001 parliament-attack convict, Afzal Guru.
Rasheed, who created furore in the state assembly last year by moving a resolution demanding the same, also criticised the President for being “ignorant” about the problems in Kashmir. “We want tell to the President that Kashmir is not confined his five-star hotel suite with his high security and just attending convocation at the Kashmir University and spending three-four hours in the valley.
But we want to assert that Kashmir extends from Tangdhar to Lakhimpur where everyday, innocent Kahmiris undergo atrocities, people are dying, but the Indian government is not moved and not paying heed to these matters,” agencies quoted Rasheed as saying.
Geelani had appealed to people to stay indoors in protest against the president’s visit.
“We have no personal enmity with Mukherjee,” the octogenarian leader said, but added that the head of the country which has “seized our right to freedom” could not be “welcomed”.
The banned Kashmir University Student Union (KUSU) has also declared the week as a ‘black week’ in protest.
However, meritorious students were disappointed when informed that not all would get a chance to go up to the President to receive their medals, in view of his paucity of time and a large number of awardees.
“This is a once in a lifetime affair. We have worked hard for this, they cannot deny us our right,” a post graduation topper said.
Geelani, who heads the hardliner faction of the Hurriyat Conference, also held Mukherjee accountable for what he said were “10,000” enforced disappearances” at the hands of the security forces in Kashmir, where a 23-year-old armed conflict is waning.
“As the constitutional commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he is responsible for what his army have done,” Geelani said.
Mukherjee is scheduled to chat with the region’s political leaders and also to take a tour of the famous Dal lake, to review its conservaton efforts.
