Criticizing the state Govt for their apathy towards flood victims Hurriyat (M) Chairman and Dar-ul-Khair Mirwaiz Manzil chief, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Sunday said the government had left the victims of September 2014 devastating floods and traders at the mercy of the Almighty Allah.Addressing a gathering of people at Batamaloo Srinagar after handing over seven residential houses constructed at a cost of Rs 40 lakh by the Dar-ul-Khair Mirwaiz Manzil under the third phase of the ‘Ak Akis’ initiative for the people whose houses were completely damaged in floods, the Hurriyat (M) Chairman said that history was witness to the fact that successive regional governments had always left people in lurch in times of crisis.Hurriyat (M) Chairman according to the statement issued to KNS handed over the newly constructed houses to their owners namely Mehraj-u-Din Dar of Banpora, Abdul Rehman Sheikh and Abdul Rashid Sheikh of Hamza Colony, Abdul Gani Khan and Bashir Ahmad Bhat of New Colony and Abdul Hamid Wani and Dilshada Bano of Bara Pather areas of Batamaloo.
Lauding the nation for braving severe hardship with courage and perseverance during the past 25 years, the Mirwaiz said people are expected to show the same resolve in future to help take Kashmir’s resistance movement to its logical conclusion. He said it was because of the sacrifices of the people that the heat of Kashmir issue is felt globally and the international community is stressing for the resolution of Kashmir issue.Commenting upon the recently held Indo-Pak foreign minister level talks in Islamabad, Mirwaiz said the decision of the two countries to resume the stalled dialogue is a welcome step and it gives an indication of seriousness that this time it would be a structured dialogue with Kashmir as one of the prominent issues. He, however, said that both the countries have to find a mechanism to include the people of Kashmir in the dialogue process because sans their participation and without taking their wishes into account there cannot be a just and agreeable solution to the issue.
He said more than a year had passed since September 2014 devastating flood but it was a pity that the government had failed to rehabilitate Kashmir’s flood victims, business community and traders.Commenting upon the role of Dar-ul-Khair Mirwaiz Manzil, Mirwaiz said that since its creation despite having limited resources at its disposal, all efforts were made by the organisation in doing its best for rehabilitating the flood victims. This he said became possible only with the help of Kashmiri philanthropists and general public who came forward and joined hands with the ‘Akh Akis’ initiative to rehabilitate the flood affected. Mirwaiz acknowledged the people for rising to the occasion whenever their fellow beings needed them especially in times of distress.Calling upon more people to come forward and join hands with Dar-ul-Khair Mirwaiz Manzil, to help the economically and socially-backward, needy and the helpless, Hurriyat (M) Chairman said that Islamic teachings and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as muslim make us duty bound to do so.
Giving details Mirwaiz said that Dar-ul-Khair Mirwaiz Manzil in the first two phases of the "‘Akh Akis’ initiative has handed over residential houses to the flood affected people of Gow Kadal, Mandir Bagh, Maisuma and Chattabal areas after the local Masjid Committee members identified the worst affected flood victims in the area.Besides this Dar-ul-Khair Mirwaiz Manzil also helped more than 100 flood-affected families of south Kashmir’s Islamabad and Kulgam districts and handed over Rs 10 lakh in cash as compensation to them.Mirwaiz said that while people were facing oppression and suppression at the political level, they were also subjected to economic deprivation and the failure of the government to rehabilitate the September 2014 flood victims, who now have to spend the second consecutive winters without roof over their heads, was a proof in this regard.Earlier, on reaching Batamaloo, the Mirwaiz was given a rousing welcome by the members of the Jammu Kashmir Awami Majlis-e-Amal, Batamaloo circle, Coordination Committee Batamaloo members and locals, particularly the youth. (KNS)