Chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said that the Government of India with the support of local “quislings” has always undermined the establishment of a strong people’s leadership as they fear that such leadership which represents people’s aspirations and enjoys their full support, is a huge political challenge for them.Addressing people at the historic Jamia Masjid Srinagar, Mirwaiz said the past 70 years of the political struggle bears testimony that while there have been those who badly betrayed the people’s trust reposed in them and are equally responsible for our current misery, there have been great leaders among the people like Mirwaiz Yousuf Shah, Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, Sufi Mohammad Akbar, Amanulah Khan, Shaheed Maqbool Bhat, ‘Shaheed-e-Millat’ Mirwaiz Molvi Farooq and others who despite being subjected to pain and hardships of exile and jails, allurements and appeasements by the adversary never gave in or compromised their integrity and the people’s trust in them and even sacrificed their lives for it.Mirwaiz said the current people's leadership is equally committed and is sincere and steadfast and like the tremendous sacrifices being offered by the people especially youth, it is also facing hardships.“Since 1947, all governments ruling India know that sincere and strong leadership is a threat to their control on Kashmir, so they have constantly undermined it. When repressive means of jailing detaining curbing and confining leadership fails devious tactics to discredit leadership and malign them is adopted.
Viscous propaganda, lies and personal smear campaigns is launched on print electronic or social media and facts are twisted and manipulated,” he said.Hurriyat (M) chairman added, “The NIA investigation drama to intimidate and badmouth leadership and dishearten people and disillusion them from their just political movement and their leadership has proved to be a failure for the agencies, as people saw through it. The lies and fabrications spread did not hold and the harassment caused to us and those close to us did not deter leadership. Yet leaders and activists have been detained in Tihar jail in scorching heat and hostile conditions.”Mirwaiz said now the “propaganda” of police cover provided to me is being raked up and exploited by the government. He said drums are being beaten about the expenditure incurred on the cover. “What is obvious is the pettiness of such people that they can play politics even on such an issue,” he said.“After the Shahadat of my father, police personnel were already stationed at my house when I returned from Mirwaiz Manzil Rajori Kadal where my family and I were staying for two months. When we inquired it was communicated that it was obligatory on the state to provide the cover based on their assessment of threat perception to me after my father’s Shahadat, and will not be removed. Since then they are stationed here,” he said.He said while hundreds of crores are spent on the police cover provided to thousands of people in the state, “singling me out and drumming it up when they very well know the background of the whole issue shows their shallowness”. “I reiterate that government is free to withdraw the police personnel as and when it wants as I have never asked for it,” he said.“As a Muslim, for me as for my ancestors it is our belief that safety of a human being is best guaranteed by Allah as we are in His protection. For me, as for my ancestors duas and prayers of my people are also my protection and their selfless love and trust in me my strength and asset,” Mirwaiz said. (GNS)