SRINAGAR: Breaking the tradition, the moderate faction of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on Tuesday paid tributes to the Martyrs of 1931, a day ahead of the Martyrs day observed every year on July 13. Vowing to continue the struggle "for freedom," Hurriyat leaders said that the ball was in the court of New Delhi as far as the resumption of talks was concerned.

The decision to visit the Martyrs' cemetery a day ahead was taken at an emergency meeting of Hurriyat's working committee, executive and general council held at its Rajbagh headquarters on Tuesday morning. Though the Hurriyat Conference did not give any reason to visit the shrine a day ahead, the scheduled visits of a number of mainstream political parties including the ruling Congress-People's Democratic Party alliance and the National Conference must have made the conglomerate to advance its homage asthey were apprehending restrictions on their movement by the authorities on Wednesday.

However, the APHC has called a general strike on July 13 to commemorate the day. It was on July 13 in 1931 a number of Kashmiris were gunned down by Maharaja Hari Singh's police.

After paying tributes, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that the onus of resuming the dialogue was on the Government of India now. "We have supported the peace process. We visited Pakistan to carry it forward. Now we want to go ahead with it and ready to meet the leadership in New Delhi. It is for them to decide the date and the venue."

The Mirwaiz said if they were not able to do so "we are ready to fix a date and arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Srinagar."

He was accompanied by senior leaders Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Abdul Gani Bhat, Fazl Haque Qureshi and Javed Mir.

Stating that Kashmir issue was of political nature, the Mirwaiz said it needed to be resolved in accordance with the wishes of the people.

"India should accept that this issue cannot be resolved through repression." Refusing to directly comment on Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's statement that the Centre would not extend a fresh invitation to the Hurriyat for talks; the Mirwaiz said it was the responsibility of the government to decide if the talks were to be held.

The Mirwaiz said that an important meeting of Hurriyat with the representatives of Kashmiri pandits would be held in Srinagar on July 19.

"It is very significant as pandits are part and parcel of us," he said.

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