Srinagar: While politicians paid tributes to Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone on their death anniversary Saturday, parts of Srinagar downtown observed shutdown on the occasion.
While most of the shops in the downtown areas of the city, including Nowhatta, Gojwara and Rajouri Kadal, were shut, the public transport however was plying in these areas as well as in the remaining parts of the city.
Shops and other business establishments in other areas of Srinagar as well as in other districts remained open.
Abdul Gani Lone, a prominent Hurriyat leader and the father of People’s Conference chairman Sajad Lone, was assassinated in Srinagar on May 21, 2002 during a rally to mark the death anniversary of the former Mirwaiz of Kashmir, Moulvi Mohammad Farooq.
Moulvi Farooq, the father of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was assassinated on May 21, 1990.
Meanwhile, paying tributes to his father, Sajad Gani Lone said Abdul Gani Lone was killed for saying what he believed in and those who killed him “were terrorists and will rot in hell”.
“Remembering my father Abdul Gani Lone. Every year as 21st May approaches I start trembling. Those painful moments/memories — of a family receiving the bullet-ridden body of their loved one. Those moments of helplessness follow you all your life,” the People’s Conference chairman said in a series of tweets.
“Every time a person is killed in our valley, I can visualise what must be happening at his or her home. The teary-eyed wails of the loved ones, the anguish — it is all so same. My father was killed for saying what he believed in. Those who killed him were terrorists and will Inshallah rot in hell. As will all those terrorists who kill unarmed innocent civilians,” he said and prayed for peace in Kashmir.
“For my father and for all those who have laid down their lives in this conflict, all I pray for is peace. May no bullet-ridden dead bodies be delivered to families. May this madness end. May sanity prevail,” Sajad Lone said.
Separately, in a press release the Peoples Conference said that tributes were paid to Abdul Gani Lone on his 20th martyrdom anniversary and Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq on his 32nd martyrdom anniversary. Besides PC leadership, hundreds of PC workers participated in the meeting.
Paying tributes to its founder Abdul Gani Lone, PC stated that “the sacrifices rendered by him will become the torch-bearer for the future generations of Kashmir who strive for the lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir.”
“We humbly salute the founder of our party, our leader Shaheed Abdul Gani Lone. He laid down his life for peace in his homeland. We are proud to be the followers of the great leader who rendered the ultimate sacrifice for his people,” the party statement said.
It said that Abdul Gani Lone will be remembered for his political astuteness, acumen and farsighted approach vis-à-vis finding a lasting solution to the vexed issue like Kashmir.
“His assassination exemplifies the pain and agony of the people of Kashmir and how the nefarious miscreants are out there to tarnish the hopes of peace and stability in the region for their own vested interests. He will continue to inspire the generations to come,” the statement added.
It said the party leaders resolved to continue to tread the path shown by its founder and never be deterred to pursue its agenda of peace, tranquility and stability of Jammu and Kashmir.
Terming late Mirwaiz as a pious, noble and honest soul, the party observed that the immense contributions of Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq will be remembered for times to come and that he contributed greatly in serving the cause of Islam, education and public service in Kashmir.
The statement further added that “both Abdul Gani Lone and Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq remind us of a golden era of politics where moderate politics and intellectualism were the defining attributes of leadership.”
Paying his tributes, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader M Y Tarigami said both the leaders had a firm faith in dialogue.
“We pay homage to Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq sb and Abdul Gani Lone sb on their respective death anniversaries. Both the leaders had firm faith in dialogue and strived for promotion of harmony and strengthening of bonds among communities,” the Left leader wrote on Twitter.
