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Onkar Singh in Srinagar
Jolted by the September 11 terror attacks against the United States, and the growing world opinion against terrorism, Hurriyat Conference leaders are being forced to review their strategy.
Talking to rediff.com in Srinagar, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said violence would now have take a backseat, and politicians would have to take over from the militants.
"After the reprehensible attack on the World Trade Centre, the world is now coming together to wage a war against terrorism. I think the militants would have to take back seat for sometime and lie low, and the political leadership like the Hurriyat Conference would have to take over from here onwards," Mirwaiz asserted.
Asked if the Hurriyat Conference is condemning the attack on the Jammu and Kashmir assembly on October 1, Mirwaiz said that all right thinking people should condemn the attack and killing of the innocent people.
"We, the Hurriyat Conference leaders, condemn this attack. It was definitely a terrorist attack in which more then thirty innocent people lost their lives, and sixty injured," he said.
However, he did not agree that the cause of the Hurriyat Conference has received a major setback, because of the developments after September 11.
He also refused to name Osama bin Laden as the brain behind the attack on US soil.
"Well, people are naming Osama bin Laden for the attack. I don't know how far it is justified. We have received a setback, but it is not a major setback as you put it," he said.
"When Vajpayee was going to Lahore, there was a massacre in Jammu. When Clinton was coming to India, 36 innocent Sikhs were massacred in Chhattisinghpura, and now when the world is getting together in its fight against terrorism, an attack takes place on the Jammu and Kashmir assembly. I wonder if there is some common threat to all these incidents. These must be probed," he demanded.
When reminded that Jaish-e-Mohammad, an outfit floated by Maulana Masood Azhar, has owned the responsibility for J&K assembly attack, Farooq argued, "Yes, I know they have owned up the attack, but they subsequently denied it also."
For the first time, Mirwaiz agreed that teachings of Mahatma Gandhi are more relevant, than ever before.
"I agree that his teaching of non-violence is relevant, but the other side should also abide by his teachings," he said.
He appealed to the Jihad committee based in Pakistan to take note of the changing situations in the world, and not to resort to violence in the valley.
"I see a silver lining in the present developments. After the US has dealt with Afghanistan and the dust settles down, the US is bound the put pressure on India to solve the Kashmir problem," he said.
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