SRINAGAR, July 1: Kashmiri separatists, blamed by government often for shutdowns and violence, have won a lot of praise by state’s chief minister for the first time since militancy broke out in the Himalayan state over two decades ago.
Appreciating the restraint exhibited by the separatist leaders which according to Chief Minsiter, Omar Abdullah, helped in maintaining amity and peace after Peer Dastgeer Sahib shrine, a 250-year-old wooden landmark dedicated to 11th-century Sufi saint Sheikh Abdul Qadir Geelani, was reduced to ashes in a fire on June 26.
“Apart from extending my gratitude to general public for the maturity they have shown at the moment of challenge, I also want to thank those, who do not share our political view point, for working positively to help in maintenance of peace and brotherhood,” Omar said during an interaction with Imams (prayer leaders) and Khateebs (preachers).
“They (separatists) made appeals to the people repeatedly for this purpose for which I am thankful to them.”
Although the prominent separatist leaders, who remained under house arrest for five days since Monday, rejected the government probe into the fire incident, yet all of them had appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony.
Both the Chairmen of the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, had urged people to pay no heed to any speculations about what could have led to the fire.
“Peace and communal harmony should be maintained at any cost. Do not heed to rumours,” they had said in separate statements.
