Commenting over the continuous shutdown in Pulwama for the eighth consecutive day, Chairperson All Parties Hurriyat Conference (g) Syed Ali Geelani Thursday said that installation of “martyrs memorial” at the Shaheed Park Pulwama is a genuine and logical demand of the local people and the “objection of the administration and the police in the erection of this board is an unjustified and unnecessary action”.He cautioned government that rigidity over the issue will have serious consequences and the Hurriyat Conference (g) will “appeal the people in the entire state to protest against this”.Geelani expressed his deep concern that one Ghulam Mohammad, a shopkeeper, is missing “in the on-going protests” in the Pulwama and his whereabouts are not known from last 4 days. “Nobody knows that who among the police or other Indian agencies have arrested him,” he said.In a press release, Geelani said, “the Shaheed Park in Pulwama is associated with the martyrs of 1931 and since then this place has a historical importance.
Our beloved youth who are sacrificing their youth-hood for the betterment of their nation are our Heroes and they are worth to be respected and remembered in every respect. The people in Pulwama if wanting to install a martyrs’ memorial board on the entrance of the Shaheed Park then it is a good move which should be followed by the other districts of the state.”He said, “it is beyond our understanding that why are police creating hurdles in this proposal and why are they objecting the installation of the board. The setting up of Martyrs memorial in Pulwama will not affect anything but the way the police are creating hurdles and are trying to suppress the people’s demands through the force, it will definitely create law and order problem and it will further deteriorate the situation. The administration and the police are forcing the youth to protest and it is not any reasonable thing.”While advising police to “shun the rigidity”, Geelani said, “the Hurriyat Conference (g) will not sit silently over their unjustified attitude and if their hooliganism continued, the Hurriyat Conference will protest against that.” (CNS)