After 7 years, Geelani addresses mammoth gathering in Tral; meets families of slain youths

‘Amarnath Yatra should be restricted to 15 days’

5 Dariya News (Rouf Pampori)

Srinagar 01-May-2015

After the gap of seven years, the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Friday visited Tral Township of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district where he addressed a mammoth gathering and visited families of slain youths.According to GNS correspondent, the senior resistance leader reached Dadsara village of Tral during pre-dawn hours today. Local sources told GNS that people were caught in surprise after they came to know about his presence in the Dadsara village.A Hurriyat leader told GNS that Geelani had left his Hyderpora residence before early morning prayers. “Had Geelani sahab stayed, the police would have placed him under house detention,” he said.Meanwhile, Geelani offered Friday prayers in Khankah-e-Faiz Panah in the Town where few thousand people had already assembled to hear the octogenarian leader. Amid pro-freedom, pro-Islam slogans, the Hurriyat chairman addressed the people after Friday congregational prayers.

Geelani in his address touched wide range of issues including Amarnath Yatra, Pandits’ return, looming flood threat and trained guns on Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.Geelani said the annual Amarnath Yatra should be restricted to 15 days. He said the Yatra should be conducted on the pattern of Gangotri Yatra in Uttarakhand for the “betterment of environment and Yatris”.The 86-year old leader reiterated his opposition to separate townships for displaced Kashmir Pandits and said they should return and live along with their Muslim neighbours. Geelani said there is no threat to the followers of any religion from Muslims in Kashmir and majority community would play the role of saviors for them.

Blaming “Indian military occupation” for the flood threat which looms large on Kashmir since devastating September 2014 floods, Geelani said the army troopers have occupied the heights of the region which otherwise could be used for residential purposes by locals . He said as a result of occupation, the locals are compelled to construct houses in flood channels.

Geelani demanded de-militarization from civil areas of the Kashmir.Demanding a blanket ban on wine in Kashmir, the Hurriyat chairman accused Jammu and Kashmir government of spearheading immorality in the Muslim-majority region. He alleged that the PDP-led coalition government is being run by RSS and said: “Whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh wishes only that happens here. Castigating PDP, Geelani said the party is “dangerous” for Kashmir.

Soon after his address, Geelani led a huge procession amid pro-freedom slogans and went to the residences of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Younis Ganai and brother of Hizb Commander, Khalid Muzzafar Wani, and met their families. The duo was killed in army action last month.Geelani expressed his condolences with the bereaved families and paid tributes to the “martyred” youth.Meanwhile, the Pakistani flags resurfaced today in Geelani’s rally at Tral. Last time, the flags were waved at Hyderpora in Srinagar when a rally to welcome the octogenarian leader was held. The surfacing of Pakistan flags had triggered wide-spread anger among Indian media and politicians leading to the arrest of senior Hurriyat leader Masarat Aalam. (GNS)