Give up gun culture; join the mainstream, MRM appeals to Kashmiri youth
Source :   Date :

Kupwara (J & K), Aug 9: Coinciding the 75th anniversary of the historic ‘Quit India” movement, the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) gave a clarion call to the Kashmiri people, particularly the youth, to give up the culture of guns, drugs, stone pelting and hoisting Pakistani flags in the Valley and join the national mainstream to ensure “sabka saath sabka vikas” in Jammu and Kashmir.

MRM National Convener Mohd Afzal, Organising Convener Girish Juyal, J & K Convener Nazir Mir and MRM Youth Wing National Convener Khurshid Rajaka appealed to the Kashmiri youth to shun violence and drug addiction and take up education to improve their lot and ensure development of the state.

Addressing a massive public rally at Town Hall in Kupwara situated close to the Indo-Pak border on Wednesday morning, Mohd Afzal said that the entire Kashmir belonged to India and asked Pakistan to vacate the occupied Kashmir at the earliest.

This was the first time MRM had organised such a massive rally in the Kashmir Valley infested with anti-India emotions fanned by the pro-Pakistani elements and terrorists as well. The police have provided adequate security to the MRM program in view of the recent terrorist attempts to infiltrate the state from across the border.

Afzal said that no elections were held for the people living in the PoK and 24 seats remained vacant in J & K Assembly since last 70 years. “We demand that the Government of India and Government of J & K conduct elections in PoK and if this is not possible we appeal to the government to nominate from amongst those who had migrated to the state from PoK to the Assembly”, Afzal said.

Talking to newsbharati.com over phone from Kupwara Afzal said, “no one has ever demanded to hold elections in PoK, MRM is the first to make such a demand”.  He said that the people of PoK who consider them as Indians, have gone unrepresented in the State Assembly for the last 70 years. This should end somewhere and therefore, we wanted the government to conduct elections or nominate the representatives to these posts, he demanded.

He said that the MRM has appealed to the Kashmiri youth to give up violence and join the process of peace and development to restore the original status of Kashmir as paradise on the earth

The MRM has planned nationwide protest and demonstrations on this issue on August 14 when MRM activists will hold demonstrations at the state capitals all over the country trying to develop pressure on Pakistan to vacate PoK .

MRM National Organising Convener Girish Juyal said that this was the unique program of MRM and it would stir the Kashmiri youth who are longing to join the process of development and create peaceful atmosphere in the state.

After the meeting, the MRM delegation met the Collector of Kupwara and handed over a memorandum addressed to the President listing their various demands on Kashmir issue.

The public meeting was also addressed by MRM J & K State Convener Nazir Mir, MRM Youth Wing Convener Khurshid Rajaka, Jagirbhai, Sultanbhai and Riyaz Mir.

Memorandum

Government of India and Government of Pakistan, mutually resolved during Shimla Agreement on July 2nd.1972 that the two countries, put an end to the conflict and confrontation that has hitherto marred their relations, and work for the promotion of a friendly and harmonious relationship and establishment of durable peace in the subcontinent.

Both countries may henceforth devote their resources and energies to the pressing talk of advancing the welfare of their peoples and undertook to refrain from the threat or the use of force in violation of Line of Control. That they shall always respect each other’s national unity, territorial integrity, political independence and sovereign equality;

Despite this agreement and commitment by both the countries, Pakistan in the early eighties broke this agreement when it started extending its support to subversive and terrorist activities in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir and played pivotal role in imparting training to the terrorists in camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir; the supply of weapons and funds, assistance in infiltration of trained militants, including foreign mercenaries into Jammu and Kashmir with the purpose of creating disorder, disharmony and subversion.

It was only in February 1994 that the Indian State acted as a genuine and self-respecting nation. As a matter of fact, both Houses of Parliament on February 22nd. 1994 adopted a unanimous resolution on Jammu & Kashmir. The historic resolution was moved by the presiding officers and adopted unanimously by the two Houses. The resolution says to call upon Pakistan to stop forthwith its support to terrorism, which is in violation of the Shimla Agreement and the internationally accepted norms of inter-State conduct, and is the root cause of tension between the two countries.

Not just this. The resolution noted with “deep concern the highly provocative statements emanating from Pakistan” and urged Pakistan “to refrain from making statements which vitiate the atmosphere and incite public opinion” and expressed regret and concern at the “pitiable conditions and violations of human rights and denial of democratic freedoms of the people in those areas of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir.

In light of this brief back ground history of Jammu and Kashmir State, we condemn the action and illegal approach of our neighboring country- Pakistan and unanimously pass memoranda of the following points:

  1. Whole Jammu & Kashmir was / is an integral part of India and it shall remain so forever.
  2. Pakistan to “vacate the areas of the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir, which they have occupied through aggression”
  3. The people of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir are in a very pitiable condition as on date. They should not be harassed and targeted any more by Government of Pakistan.
  4. The land provided by Pakistan to China in POK, which basically belongs to India is illegal and be restored to Government of India.
  5. Constitutional position vis a vis representation of POK in 24 Lok Sabah seats in the Jammu and Kashmir that remain vacant.
  6. The surgical strike carried on terrorist training camps in POK which is an integral part of India is genuine.
  7. Import and export of goods through LOC needs to be thoroughly checked as there is every apprehension of import of arms and ammunition along with drugs in truck and other vehicles to promote further unrest in the valley. Recently the truck carrying drugs from Pakistan worth crores of Rupees has been seized by Indian forces at LOC.