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Kashmir Day: A platform for vested interests?

July 13, 2009 12:45 IST
Chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, deliberately chose the national day of Kashmir on Monday to protest against the Centre -- for not including the people of the state in finding out an amicable solution to the Jammu and Kashmir problem by holding talks with Pakistan.

"13th July, 1931, has a historical significance as fifty people where killed when security forces opened fire on landless labourers who were asking for fair distribution of land in Kashmir which was owned up by the Kashmiri Pandits and powerful Dogra landlords working for former maharajah Hari Singh. On this day he can gather more people and perhaps that's the reason why he has carefully selected the day," senior journalist Sant Sharma said on phone from Jammu.

"This is more like a carnival and all parties have their own separate rallies in the Valley to champion the cause of down trodden," said a leader of the ruling National Conference.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah will pay tributes to those who were killed by the soldiers of Hari Singh, in a bid to claim credit for reaching the spot near Jama Masjid first.

Onkar Singh in New Delhi