By IANS,
Chandigarh : Kashmiri separatist leader and Hurriyat Conference chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who was roughed up at a seminar here Thursday, said he was not hurt and appealed to people to resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue.
Farooq was attacked by displaced Kashmiri Pandits and right-wing Hindu activists who objected to his anti-India comments at the seminar.
“I am not hurt. I am totally fine. We were sitting here to discuss things. If they had something to share, then they could raise the issue and it can be debated. For every problem there is a solution and it was the main aim of this round table conference,” Farooq said.
“I cannot comment on anything about the security arrangements as it is the duty of the organisers. But here in Chandigarh, I am quite satisfied with the security part. See, you cannot stop anybody if he is coming with some wrong intentions,” he added.
At least a couple of protestors jumped on the conference table and attacked him. He was sharing the dias with leaders of other political parties, including the general secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal Prem Singh Chandumajra.
The organisers immediately jumped in to save Mirwaiz. There was total chaos inside the hall for close to 30 minutes as the protestors shouted slogans against Mirwaiz, Hurriyat Conference and Pakistan.
The police later detained 20 activists, including some women.
Even after the seminar concluded, police had a tough time escorting Mirwaiz to his car. A police Gypsy escorted his car.
“There are many forces that are trying to mislead people but we will continue our efforts. People of India have big stake in the issue of Kashmir and they have to come up to solve this problem. We would go to various places and present the real picture of Kashmir,” he said.
“It is our conscious decision to disseminte knowledge about our movement and about the probems of Kashmir all across the country. We have started it from Chandigarh and I am happy with the response. From here, I would travel in different parts of the country,” he said.
Farooq also attacked the Jammu and Kashmir government.
“Half-hearted steps of the state government would not take us anywhere. We need a comprehensive plan to create a conducive environment to solve the Kashmir problem. On one side, chief minister is giving positive statements but on the other, they continue arresting, detaining and killing people. These things are totally contradictory. One thing should be very clear that killings and dialogues don’t go hand in hand,” he said.
Farooq said Pakistan was also a part of the Kashmir problem.
“It is a fact that Kashmir is a dispute and we all have to be together to address it. We have to take care of the aspirations of Kashmiri people and it is totally wrong to give this issue a Pakistani colour. Pakistan is also the part of this problem. We have to involve people of both Pakistan and India while finding a solution,” he said.
Talking about resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits in the valley, Farooq said: “Kashmiri Pandits are part and parcel of our society but their return to the valley is a different issue than our problems. We also want them to return. Currently 9,000 Kashmiri pandit families are staying along with their Muslim brothers.”