Srinagar: While reiterating call for reducing the duration of Amarnath yatra back to earlier times, Chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani Friday said that efforts were being made to reduce the Muslim majority status of Jammu and Kashmir.

“There was around 85 percent population of Muslims as per census before 1945 and later, it was reduced to 69 percents and there are concerted efforts under a pre-planned conspiracy to reduce the Muslim majority status,” Syed Ali Shah Geelani told a huge gathering at Bus Stand Islamabad in South Kashmir.      

“The census is carried by outside state residents and they are tasked to accomplish the job to erode the Muslim status,” he added.

Asking the government to reduce the duration of the Amarnath Yatra, Geelani said that only a limited number of pilgrims should be allowed into the ecologically fragile area as a huge influx posed a dire threat to its water resources and glaciers.

“Earlier, the yatra lasted only 15 days, but now it has been stretched to nearly four months,” he said.

 According to Press Bureau of India, the octogenarian leader urged media to work with impartiality, asserting that he was misquoted at several instances in recent past.

Geelani also reiterated involvement of Kashmiris in talks, if at all; any dialogue aimed to resolve the Kashmir issue was to be successful.

 “No solution could be reached unless India, Pakistan and people of Kashmir sit together and the dialogue should be centric on implementing the United Nations resolutions,” Geelani said.  

He also said that withdrawal of troops was imperative for any dialogue, saying there presence in itself was a human rights violation.

 “Indian troops have occupied land against our wishes. Jawaharlal Lal Nehru promised withdrawal of his forces and granting right to self determination the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Six decades have passed but the promise has not been fulfilled,” Geelani said.

 “We’ll continue our peaceful struggle till every trooper leaves the valley,” he added.

Earlier, Geelani offered prayers at ‘driver’ Masjid near the bus stand and as soon as he started his address thousands of people had gathered.    (PBI)

Posted on 19 Mar 2010 by Webmaster