Mirwaiz back to politics, urges Delhi to talk conciliation

Srinagar, July 19

Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq jumped back into politics on Friday, after talking about social issues and drug abuse for several weeks, as he urged New Delhi to adopt conciliatory politics.

While addressing a gathering at Jamia Masjid in the city, Mirwaiz said New Delhi should avoid the “policy of coercion and force” and instead adopt “conciliatory type of politics”.

He said the policy of “coercion and force” had not helped in solving the Kashmir issue in the past and it cannot succeed in future too.

“There is an increase in the anger and hatred among Kashmir’s people because of these policies,” he said.

It is for the first time in recent weeks that Mirwaiz has talked politics as he had previously used his Friday speeches to talk about social issues, including the rise of drug abuse in the region.

Mirwaiz alleged that New Delhi had adopted an “anti-Muslim and anti-Kashmir” policy. “Kashmiri people are being oppressed under a well-thought-out plan,” he said.

“The Centre thinks that it can suppress this issue by use of force and oppression but reality is that the Kashmir issue has not changed for the past 70 years,” he said.

Mirwaiz said the only way to solve the issue was to work on confidence building measures and initiate a “meaningful dialogue”. “If such initiatives are taken, then Pakistan and Kashmiri people will respond positively to it because it is the only way forward.”

New Delhi should “immediately” take measure that will provide “relief” to people, he said. — TNS