Government Friday said that separatist leaders should tell the people that shutdown would continue “till they (Separatist) achieve their goal and schools and business establishments will remain closed till freedom.”Lambasting the separatist leadership for what he called “crippling” education and economy of Jammu & Kashmir the Government Spokesman and Education Minister Nayeem Akhter in a statement told KNS “Informal education is no solution to the present challenge of educational competition. Class room atmosphere and attendance of students in laboratories and libraries is must for the competitive Education”. Saying that Education and business are the worst targets of the present unrest in Kashmir Akhter said “Let Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his separatist colleagues tell the people that schools and business establishments will remain closed till they achieve their goal. It is necessary so that parents know what to do with the education of their children.Businessmen know whether they should disengage all the employees”.
Saying that better for the separatist leadership to issue the protest calender for the entire year than issuing the weekly protest calendars , the Education Minister said “When they will tell the people that shutdown would continue till Azaadi (Freedom), it will help poor taxi driver, auto-rickshaw driver and others to decide their future course.Perhaps, they could sell out their vehicles and start laboring somewhere to feed the family.” Stating that “an owner of small restaurant in Srinagar can sell his commercial property and go to Punjab to open a Dhaba and a shopkeeper in Lal Chowk can sell his shop and go to Delhi to look for some other business,” Akhter said the shutdown call is only affecting education and economy in Kashmir while all other things go on routine.“Ration is supplied and used by the consumers. Similarly, shutdown calls have not affected electricity and water supply. The shutdown is only against education and trade.The intention is clear to cripple education and business, the two tools for nation building,” he said. “Let (Syed Ali Shah) Geelani and his colleagues’ make it clear that schools and business establishments will remain closed till they achieve Azaadi,” he said. He reiterated that the Kashmir issue has to be resolved but through dialogue. (KNS)