The Hindu : Government's claims exposed: Geelani

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Sunday, Jan 04, 2004

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Government's claims exposed: Geelani

By Shujaat Bukhari

Syed Ali Shah Geelani

SRINAGAR JAN. 3. The chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference(G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, today said that not allowing him and some others to perform the Haj amounted to interference by the Government in the religious affairs of the Muslims.

``It has exposed the Government's tall claims of freedom and transparency,'' Mr. Geelani told a press conference. ``Is this freedom when a Muslim is not allowed to perform a purely religious duty,'' he asked. ``By not allowing me and dozen other Kashmiris to perform the Haj, it [the Government] has once again resorted to repression and that too by interfering in religious matters, which is not tolerable''.

Mr. Geelani, a separatist leader, said the people should not have high expectations about the outcome of the SAARC meeting. ``It only is a step towards normalising relations between India and Pakistan, which is good for them and we pray it should continue.'' He, however, accused New Delhi of ``adopting an unrealistic stand, vis-a-vis Kashmir.''

``We had hoped that the leadership of the two countries would discuss Kashmir and lay the foundation for a process which could lead to a peaceful solution. But the statement of the Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, yesterday that India will not accept Kashmir as a dispute is not a positive indication... Unless India shuns its rigid stand, there cannot be any hope of resolving the issue.''

Rejecting the possibility of a rapprochement with the other faction of the Hurriyat, he said there was no division in the Hurriyat. A cleansing process had taken place. ``Our doors are open to all those outside our fold.'' He hoped that the Jamat-e-Islami, which had dissociated itself from the Abbas-led Hurriyat, would soon take a decision ``in our favour.''

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