Srinagar: Remembering his father Late Abdul Gani Lone Sahib on his 21st death anniversary, J&K Peoples Conference President Sajad Gani Lone said that he was killed for saying what he believed in.
“Remembering my father Abdul Gani Lone, killed for saying what he believed in. Two decades have passed. Those moments of helplessness in the face of brute violence persist even today. They are a grim reminder of bestiality and savagery where you violently silence a person because you don’t agree with his views. Targeted killings take place even today. They are as futile as the killings of the past. It is a fervent hope that Kashmir exits the vicious cycle of violence,” he said.
Lone said that regrettably, despite the passage of time, not a single person has been apprehended for the murder of Late Lone, and he is not alone in this regard.
“To date not a single person has been apprehended for the murder of Lone Sahib. And he is not alone. There are probably thousands of files of fellow Kashmiris where no one was ever apprehended,” he added.
While remembering 21st May as a day of commemoration for those who saw Late Lone Sahib as their leader, Lone said that there is probably not a single day in 365 days when someone in Kashmir is not commemorating a loved one who has been killed in the violent conflict.
Lone asserted that the Kashmir conflict revolves around two central characters: the victims and the perpetrators and the most profound tribute we can pay to our heroes is to ensure that the perpetrators never assume the guise of victims.
“There will always be two main characters in the Kashmir conflict— The victims and the perpetrators. In my view one of the best tributes that we can possibly pay to our heroes is to never allow the perpetrators to don the hat of the victims,” he added.
Lone further said that in Kashmir, there exist both active and passive murderers. The active murderers, often hitmen with limited lifespans, do not remain in the spotlight for long. However, it is the passive murderers who pose the greatest danger.
“They are the white-collar killers. They are a part of the society. They are non-combatants. They don’t have a gun. But they conspire to kill with their evil words and deeds. They are the prime conspirators and also the prime commiserators. They are the ones who make the loudest noises at the condolence ceremonies,” he added.
Lone stated that passive murderers are still there. And the concept of active and passive murderers has been present on both sides of the divide, of the violent conflict.
“I wish we all wake up and understand the passivity part of these crimes,” he concluded.
