Srinagar: Hurriyat leaders march to UN office

Jammu: In what could turn out to be a major embarrassment for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, Hurriyat leaders have decided to go ahead with their march to the United Nations office in Srinagar on Monday, alleging human rights violation in the Valley.

The announcement comes a day after a stunning show of strength in Pomper, despite warnings by the administration that the situation could spiral out of control.

"The Government has done nothing. We have no faith in it and we will continue the agitation," chairman, Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, said.

The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), on the other hand, is terming the Amarnath land transfer issue non-negotiable, even though the Amarnath yatra concluded on Saturday. The board is now accusing the Government of giving pandering to the demands of the separatist forces in the Valley.

"The national forces need to come forward and make the centre understand that it shouldn't bow down before the militant organisation. I don't trust the UPA Government," convenor, SASB, Leela Karan Sharma, said.

Members of the SASB countered Hurriyat's charge of an economic blockade. Preferring to term it as a chakka jam, they said they were open to talks with civil society groups and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The demand found an echo in National Conference chief Omar Abdullah, who threatened to resign if Jammu and Kashmir crisis was not brought under control soon.

"What you need is a sustained dialogue at as high a level as possible, wherein some amount of cooling of tempers can be allowed to happen," Abdullah said. "If the situation continues like this and protesters are shot, it will be untenable for a person like me to continue in Parliament," he added.

The SASB has also threatened a 'jail bharo andolan', the consequence of which, many say, will be a deeply divided state. They say it could lead to the resurgence of separatist forces and might even translate into a terrible loss of confidence in the political set up and its peacemakers.

Interestingly, government sources in Delhi maintain that it is not really a coincidence that Kashmir has flared up again when Pakistan military establishment is taking active interest in the Valley's affair. There has been firing across the Line of Control at least 23 times in the past few months.

Amidst the tough talk the Centre has clarified it has no objection to the Srinagar-Muzzaffarabad road being opened for trade.

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