The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) in Indian-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday said that the “aggressive policies” of India and a “ban on political dissent” are the factors pushing Kashmiris to the wall and “promoting the worst kind of violence”.
In a joint statement, the leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik said that “mothers, fathers and even political leaders have no role” in the militarisation of Kashmiri youth and in fact, “the ball lies in the court of Indian political and military leadership.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that he has given “free hand” to the armed forces in the wake of the Pulwama attack. The situation tensed in Kashmir as Hindu extremists began to target Kashmiri Muslims in the occupied territory.
Kashmir Media Service reported that the statement also referred to Lt General Dhillon’s remarks in which he had asked “the mothers of Kashmir” to plead witht heir sons who have joined the resistance “to surrender and get back to the mainstream for anyone who has picked up the gun in Kashmir will be eliminated unless he surrenders.”
JRL said that “persuading young boys to refrain from treading some path is not in the hands of fathers, mothers or even political leaders as the blame falls upon the “Indian political and military leaders who have chosen to choke every little space for political dissent in Kashmir”.
On the issue of removing so-called security of resistance leaders, the JRL said it was a non-issue as it was India who took the decision of deploying security without any request and also removed it on their own.
JRL said the resistance camp is striving against the illegal Indian occupation peacefully and politically, and this move will not affect their struggle for freedom and self-determination in any manner.