Separatist leaders under house arrest

By Yusuf Jameel

Srinagar

Aug. 8: Almost all prominent Kashmiri separatist leaders were on Friday placed under house arrest or detained while attempting to relocate to the office of United Nations Military Observers Group for Indian and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to lodge protest over what they alleged is economic blockade and trade embargo of Muslims being enforced by saffron groups.

The campaign is being seen as a crude manifestation of Hindu backlash to punish the Kashmiri Muslims for opposing the land transfer to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).

But Shri Amarnath Yatra Sagarsh Samiti (SAYSS), an amalgam of Jammu-based political, social, religious and trade parties and groups spearheading the agitation over the land issue has distanced itself from the ‘economic blockade’ asserting that the food and fuel shortages are a "natural consequence" of the stir and curfews in Jammu region and that Jammu too has been affected by it.

The Valley again observed a complete shutdown on Friday over the issue and to protest reported attacks on local and Kashmir Muslims in Jammu areas by Hindu mobs in response to a call issued by JKLF whose leader Muhammad Yasin Malik was forcibly removed to a hospital here after his conditions deteriorated on the third day of ‘fast unto death’ on Thursday.

Mirwaiz Umar-led Hurriyat Conference had annou-nced to march on the UNMOGIP to present a memorandum. While Syed Ali Shah Geelani continued to be under house arrest for the past five days, the Mirwaiz and half-a-dozen other separatist leaders, including Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Syed Shabir Ahmed Shah and Naeem Ahmed Khan, too were brought under such restriction on Friday. Two other Hurriyat Conference leaders Sheikh Abdul Aziz and Javed Ahmed Mir were along with half a dozen activists disallowed to come out of its headquarters at Raj Bagh here.