‘Hindu groups distrupted law, order in J&K’

BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SRINAGAR

Aug. 8: Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and leader of his faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference alliance, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has alleged that Hindu groups have created law and order problems in Jammu areas at the behest of the people in power at the Centre.

"The extremists and ultras of these areas have literally enforced economic blockade and trade embargo under which Kashmir is languishing and suffering to such an extent that due to scarcity of life-saving medications patients of Kashmir Valley, including Kishtiwar, Badarwah, Rajouri, Poonch have all most become disillusioned with the life in itself," he claimed in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon. It adds, "Their hope is giving way to despair and despondency. Most of them will die for want of medicare if the economic blockade does not come to an end."

The Mirwaiz has said that in such an adverse and precarious situation the Hurriyat Conference had decided to spearhead a cross-LoC campaign assure trade links between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad in order to "avoid a major human catastrophe and calamity". The letter further says that the dereliction may culminate in a major human disaster where hundreds and thousands of people will die for want of food and medicines.