Srinagar, Oct 08: Praising the people for “rejecting and boycotting” the urban local body polls which began today, the Joint Resistance Leadership — Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik – on Monday said these “sham ULB elections are being forcibly held in J&K”.
In a statement here, JRL said “this election has violated the very definition of the democratic process, making a mockery of it, as even the identity of the contesting public representatives is not known to the public nor the area going to polls! Secrecy manipulation and bribery are the hallmark of this twisted exercise.”
JRL said that peoples dismissiveness of this “farcical exercise” which in reality is a “military operation to legitimise the government of India’s forcible control, shows people’s unwavering commitment to their struggle for self-determination and their political maturity.”
They said that the people of Kashmir have “completely rejected this fake and discredited election” and said that in the remaining phases as well, “people will continue to stay away from the farce and will observe protest shutdown in their respective areas on the poll dates”.
Commenting on the statement by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh that “Kashmir is ours … no power on earth can snatch it from us”, JRL said that “it exposes both the occupier mindset of GOI towards J&K and their iron hand policy in dealing with its inhabitants, which is highly unfortunate.”
JRL said “let it be clear to those arrogant of their military power and unyielding to fundamental human principles, that J&K is an internationally recognised dispute whose resolution is pending before the UN till people of this land get their right to self-determination as guaranteed by the UN including India and Pakistan.”
JRL said that people of J&K since the past 70 years are engaged in a political struggle to achieve that fundamental political and human right and will continue to do so till the dispute is resolved as per their wishes and aspirations.
No power on earth can change that fact and no amount of military repression, coercion and deceit can undo it! Past 70 years of resistance bear testimony to that.
“Like all nations across the globe, Kashmir belongs to Kashmiris only and it is they who will decide its fate and future. Human history clearly shows that the power of the will and determination of a people based on fundamental principle of truth and justice always outweighs forcible control based on sheer might and propaganda,” JRL said.
