Polls no solution to Kashmir issue, talks only way forward: Mirwaiz Umar – Times of India

SRINAGAR: Neither guns, nor elections could bring a solution to the Kashmir issue, Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said Friday, asserting that dialogue was the only way to resolve the issue for achieving everlasting peace.
In his sermon after the Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Kashmir’s chief cleric, while recalling talks with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani and Manmohan Singh, said Hurriyat had always advocated meaningful dialogue for permanent settlement of the Kashmir issue, but claimed “there was no seriousness on the other side”.
Hurriyat did not want to see guns in the hands of youth as the “Kashmir conflict” had already consumed three generations, he noted.
Addressing the congregation, Mirwaiz maintained that Hurriyat was never against election in J&K, but against it being projected as a solution to what he termed a longstanding “dispute”. The separatist outfit, which has in the past issued poll boycott calls, desisted from doing so this time around. Elections, however, “can’t be misconstrued as the settlement of the Kashmir issue”, he said.
“The reality is that assembly or Lok Sabha elections are only for resolution for day-to-day issues like ‘sadak, bijli and paani (road, electricity and water). The large issue, which is the political dispute, remains there,” he added.
Warning against a potential escalation, Mirwaiz referred to the situation in West Asia and hoped the Kashmir issue would be resolved “before it takes an ugly turn and the shape of a war”.
He took a swipe at J&K’s mainstream parties and their leaders, saying they claimed to be contesting the elections to protect the rights of people. “Had they really been serious, they would have fought unitedly,” Mirwaiz said.
Mirwaiz also brought up the abrogation of Article 370, saying “our political rights were snatched and we lost our control on land rights, jobs and what not”.
Asserting that the “iron fist policy will not work”, he said the Govt of India must come to the table for talks. “Hurriyat leadership may be in jail or under detention. Many of them are booked under PSA and many under UAPA. But, the fact remains that Hurriyat continues to represent the genuine aspirations and sentiments of people of Kashmir,” he said.
He also sought answers from the J&K administration as to why the historic Jamia Masjid was closed on important religious occasions such as Shab-e-Qadr, Rabi-ul Awal, Jumat-ul-Vida etc. “Can’t you see how people of Kashmir cooperate when there are religious festivals of other communities. Don’t you see how we cooperate to make Amarnath Yatra a grand success? Why is Jamia being locked and prayers disallowed when there are special Muslim rituals?” he asked.