FIR & Chronology of Attacks on Syed Ali Shah Geelani

FIR & Chronology of Attacks on Syed Ali Shah Geelani

To

The Station House Officer,
Police Station Sopore.

Subject: Registration of an FIR.

In a peaceful rally of Syed Ali Geelani in Iqbal Market Sopore on 11-11-2011 a suspicious person was caught hold by the people. By the Intervention of Syed Geelani he was handed over to the police with a hope that matter will be probed into thoroughly. Instead of probing the matter, the SP Sopore as per news report of Greater Kashmir dated 12-11-2011 had stated that the gunman belonged to army intelligence wing and he had gone to rally to record Geelani’s Speech and that he has been admitted in a hospital.

Today i.e. on 13th of November 2011 the daily Greater Kashmir has reported that as per army Naik Kamlesh Kumar Mishra was a member of a covert team of Army and State Police and had been sent to Sopore to gather information of the presence of terrorists in the public rally. The news paper has however further reported that as per police they were not a part of any joint intelligence operation at Sopore during Geelani’s rally and that intelligence operations are not carried out by the police jointly with the army.

From the aforesaid sequence of events it’s fully established that Naik Kumlesh Kumar Mishra and army personnel had gone to Mr. Geelani’s rally on 11-11-2011 with a pistol and he was not part of any covert operation. He had been perhaps sent by some agency to target Mr. Geelani, but for the timely intervention of the people he couldn’t succeed in his nefarious design. He has been a part of some deep rooted conspiracy hatched by the army intelligence to eliminate Mr. Geelani and it is with that objective that he had come all the way from Srinagar or from elsewhere to attend the rally. The claim of Army that he was a part of a covert team of army and police having been rejected by the police the matter appears to be very grave and serious.
You are accordingly requested to register an FIR in the matter so that the conspiracy hatched to eliminate Mr. Syed Ali Geelani is unearthed and the conspirators as well as the perpetrators of crime are brought to book.
Yours Faithfully

Ayaz Akbar
Spokesman
All Parties Hurriyat Conference Jammu and Kashmir

Copies news items of Greater Kashmir are enclosed herewith.

Greater Kashmir dated 12-11-2011 on page 10

YOUTH NABBED WITH PISTOL

An unidentified youth allegedly carrying a pistol was beaten to pulp by people on the suspicion of being personnel of some government agency during Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s rally in Sopore on Friday.
Soon after Geelani concluded his speech, an unidentified youth was caught by the people and severely thrashed.

The spokesperson of Tehreek-i-Hurriyat, Ayaz Akbar, said the youth was from some government agency and a pistol was also found in his possession. He said it was only after Geelani’s intervention that the youth was set free. He condemned the presence of an armed personal during public gathering that too with a weapon.

“The person could have made attempt on the life of Geelani sahib or intended to disrupt the public gathering,” Ayaz Akbar said.

Greater Kashmir dated 13-11-2011

Army confirms soldier’s presence in Geelani rally

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Srinagar, Nov 12: The Army has said the man who was beaten up by mob on suspicion that he had made an assassination bid on Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani during a rally here was actually a member of its "covert team".

"An army man was beaten up by mob due to mistaken identity (in the public rally addressed by Geelani yesterday). His service pistol, identity card and mobile were snatched by them," a defence spokesman said here in a statement.

A "covert team" of army and state police was sent to Sopore, 55 kms from here, to gather information on the presence of "terrorists" in the public rally, he said.
Hurriyat (G) had yesterday claimed an assassination attempt was made on Geelani by a man carrying a pistol who was nabbed by people at the rally.
"The man was nabbed when he was asked to show his identity card at the rally...Why would a man come to a rally with a pistol. It could possibly have been an attempt to target Geelani," Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar had said.

The defence spokesperson said, "The man, seriously injured, was rescued by his colleagues, and admitted to the army hospital...A case has been lodged by the army against the miscreants."

GKNN ADDS: Meanwhile, police claimed that they were not part of any joint intelligence operation in Sopore town during Geelani’s rally to nab militants.

Highly placed sources in Jammu and Kashmir Police said that intelligence operations are not carried out jointly.

They said an FIR lodged by army in Sopore police station doesn’t mention the role of police anywhere.

Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani rebutted the Army claim, saying the MI personnel was released by youth on his intervention.
“These are concocted and baseless claims. They first claimed that the MI personnel was present in the rally for gathering reports and now they say he was there to nab a militant. This shows how much truth is in their claims,” he said.

He said after the Friday prayers his rally passed off peacefully as he had changed the venue to avoid clashes of youth with CRPF men at Main Chowk.
“When I was leaving the rally venue, some youth told me that they had caught an Army personnel. I asked them to release him and they promptly acted upon my advice,” Geelani added.

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Here is brief chronology of the attacks on the life of Syed Ali Geelani, Chairman All Parties Hurriyat Conference and Tahreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu Kashmir.

In less than 36 hours on May 1996, two attacks were made on the life of Syed Ali Geelani, Senior leader of Jammu and Kashmir Mr. Geelani was targeted eight times by the Indian Forces and India backed renegade militants with the aim to eliminate him from the political scene of Jammu and Kashmir. There have been several attempts on the lives of other All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders (APHC) too.

1.Oct. 30, 1995: A powerful attack on official residence at Hyderpora.
The attack severely damaged the outer wall and the ground floor of the
building, first floor catching fire. The windowpane of the houses in
an area of about one-kilometer was shattered.

2.Dec. 31, 1995: Indian Regular Forces along with some renegade
militants barged into the residence at Hyderpora with the aim to kill
the leader. Mr. Gee1ani along with his family members remained locked
in a room. The neighbors informed the police and other people. After
an hour they left before they were heard of saying that the mission
was exposed.

3.Dec 10, 1995: The houses of the two brothers of Syed A1i Shah
Gee1ani namely Syed Mirak Shah and Syed Wali Muhammad Shah of Dooru
Sopore were set on fire in broad daylight by the army and their agents
working in the area. The residential house of Syed A1i Shah Geelani
was also partially damaged.

4.Dec 18, 1995: The same house of Syed Ali Shah Geelani was blasted
and raised to the ground.

5.Jan 1, 1996: Task Force (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police raided the
official premises and extensively searched the house for two hours.
Nothing incriminating was found. It was believed that they had come to
survey the areas.

6.March 26, 1996: A powerful explosion severely damaged the front wall
of the first floor; the window and doors were shattered.
7.April 9, 1996: A grenade attacks on the western side of the
premises. No damage.

8.May 9, 1996: Firing on the Hurriyat cavalcade at a village near
Sopore by some miscreants belonging to Army backed renegade outfit
Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon. The Jammu and Kashmir Police accompanied the
leader, caught hold of some renegades and snatched their rifles.

Rashtriya Rifles personnel, the security agency patronizing the
renegades camping nearby were out raged at the police action and
dragged all the leaders out of their cars. The leaders were beaten
severely. Mr. Abdul Gani Lone and Mr. Shabir Ahmad Shah were injured
Abdul Ahad Waza was beaten and injured. He was hospitalized on his
return to Srinagar from Sopore; a bomb was thrown on the car carrying
Syed A1i Shah Geelani at Narbal near Srinagar. The Bomb hit the escort
Car damaging its windscreen. Those traveling by car escaped unhurt.
The police recovered four landmines from the spot.

9.May 9, 1996: 40 gunmen entered into residence of the Syed Ali
Geelani but the guards strongly resisted their entry. Meanwhile the
police reached on spot but allowed these gunmen to leave the area
without questioning their motives.

10.May 16, 1996: Rocket attack on Hyderpora official residence. The
rocket exploded near the main gate. The local police recovered another
unexploded rocket.

11.May 17, 1996: Another grenade attack within less than 36 hours
exploded near the outer wall damaging it. Eyewitness said that they
saw security vehicle in the area minutes before the explosion. No one
was injured.
12.June 8, 1996: Indian Army and their agent’s showered nine grenades
and hundreds of bullets at 11 P.M on the residential house of Syed Ali
Shah Geelani at Hyderpora Srinagar.

13.Oct. 13/14, 1996: The house of Syed Ali Shah Geelani was again
attacked and fired upon from the main airport road. The firing
continued for about thirty minutes. The bullets hit the main gate and
other parts of the outer wall of the building.

14.March 12, 1999: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC)
Chairman, Syed Ali Geelani and his associates were attacked by dozens
of armed youth in a local hotel City Heart Hari Market Jammu late in
the evening. The incident took place at about 9.45 P.M.

15.September 7, 1999: The APHC chairman Syed A1i Geelani and his
associates were attacked by BSF-I72 Btn. Led by Inspector Rajiv
Kumaran main Chowk Kulengam Handwara while addressing election boycottrally.

16.September 8, 1999: On the same day they were subjected to another
attack by STF led by Inspector Sharma at Kulengam Handwara at 8. P.M
he had narrow escape when a bullet hit a near by wall and also the
tier of Geelani’s car.

17.On 30th June, 2000: The Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani and his associates had a narrow escape when they wereassaulted by the army personnel on their return from Magam Handwara.
The Incident occurred when Hurriyat leaders were proceeding to’
village after addressing a rally at Magam Handwara Kupwara.
This is the brief chronology up to 30th June 2000. If this could
happen with a prominent leader of Jammu and Kashmir one can imagine
the plight of masses over there.

We appeal to the world community to take note of the situation and
attacks on the life and property of the civil and political activists.

Ayaz Akbar
Spokesman
All Parties Hurriyat Conference Jammu and Kashmir

Army Made 18 Assassination Bids On My Life, Claims Geelani

Alleging that the Army has made "18 assassination bids” on his life since 1996, Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Monday said the Army man caught with a pistol at his rally in Sopore last Friday had been sent to "murder him or cause a stampede by firing".

Addressing a press conference at his Hyderpora residence, Geelani said that his party has lodged a complaint with the Sopore police for FIR against the army.

“There could have been only two motives for the Army to send its armed man in civvies to our peaceful rally: either it wanted to eliminate me or cause a stampede hoping that it would prove fatal for me or the common people present there. Later, the police would have blamed the militants for the attack,” Geelani said.

Geelani said the Sopore incident was the 18th attempt on his life by army , beginning with a rocket attack on his Hyderpora residence in 1996. “After the rocket attack, an army officer called one of our neighbours and asked if I had died in the attack,” Geelani said.

“He used the words ‘Kya Kute ki Dukan Band Hogayi (Has the dog been finished?)” Geelani alleged.

Geelani said the ID card recovered from the man caught by people at his rally identified him as Naik Kamlesh Kumar Mishra.

“I told the people to hand him over to the police but instead of registering an FIR against him, the police has registered a case against dozen innocent youth from Sopore who were present at the peaceful rally,” Geelani said.

Geelani said he was aware of the presence of “agencies” at his rallies or gatherings but the Sopore incident was “a deep-rooted conspiracy to eliminate him.”

“We know there are people from different Indian agencies and police at our rallies, but I am never bothered about it because my stand on end to Indian occupation is unambiguous and known to all. However, the Sopore incident was a well-planned conspiracy to eliminate me,” he said.

He said the matter should be probed to “unveil inhumane and shameful attitude of Indian army in Kashmir."

Geelani alleged that the army wanted to repeat “another January 6, 1993 when 40 people were burnt alive and 200 houses and shops gutted by the forces after a youth snatched the gun of one of their personnel.”

“The army has developed a lust for power in Kashmir and is acting as the government here, with both the civil administration and police being under its thumb,” Geelani said, adding that Kashmir “has become a killing field for the army.”

Geelani said the army was trying to make inroads into educational institutes as well and "brave students must resist this intrusion.”

"I appeal students to be brave and tell these army officers and generals on their face that they have no right to be deliver lectures in our schools and colleges after killing, disappearing thousands of Kashmiris, burning houses and unleashing worst human rights violations on us,” he said.

In response to a query on the statement of former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief, Imran Khan’s statement that Pakistan should put Kashmir issue on the “back burner”, Geelani said the country should stand firm on its “principled stand on Kashmir.”

|Kashmir Dispatch|

Busted: 10 FPMs (frequently propagated myths) about Kashmir

By : Subir Gosh

Originally published at write2kill.in 

If it is the Indian mainstream media which has been keeping you informed about Kashmir, trust me, you have been in the wrong hands. Lies are peddled by the government, and in turn faithfully disseminated by the Indian media. This is a brief attempt at dispelling those lies-turned-myths.

Kashmir is militant-infested
Who told you so? Watching too many Bollywood films, or what? If the official admission is anything to go by, there are not more than 500 militants operating today in Kashmir. And all entrenched too deep to foment any discord. There has been no militancy in the Valley worth the name in this century. Your information is outdated by more than a decade.

Kashmiris are hostile to Indians
You indeed must be kidding. If there is any hostility, it is the Kashmiris who face this discrimination and animosity day in and out, both in mainland India and back home as well. Try disguising yourself as a Kashmiri Muslim and venture on a house-hunting chore in any Indian city and you will find the truth the hard way out. That's, of course, assuming you have the height and the good looks to pass off as one.

The alienation of Kashmiris is their own doing, fuelled by Pakistan
Now, that's a spiteful joke. The people of Kashmir have been subject to untold misery by Indian security forces. Disappearances. Torture. Detention without charge. Tomes have been published about the atrocities that have been heaped on these people over the years. The wounds inflicted by India on Kashmiris run deep. Very deep. You don't need a trouble-monger Pakistan to fuel anything, all the stoking is devotedly done by India. Quite remorselessly, at that.

Kashmir is headed for Talibanisation
Islamophobia is really getting to you. Get yourself a good shrink. And bill it to the Indian government, for it is this establishment that is singularly responsible for the dissemination and proliferation of such deceitful conjectures. You might also like to bill a smaller amount to the Indian mainstream media which has dutifully acted as the conduit for such unadulterated balderdash. The people of Kashmir certainly are conservative, relatively speaking; and Islam is more a way of life than a fanatical mode of self-expression. Kashmir is as much headed for Talibanisation at this moment, as India has become a Hindu Rashtra in spite of the efforts of the saffron brigade.

Geelani being the main leader means Kashmiris are for Pakistan
Which TV channel do you watch? Must be one of those where the anchor keeps flaring his nostrils and gnashing his perfect set of teeth. No, SAS Geelani is a leader by default. Some may be with him because they are pro-Pakistan themselves, or believe in an Islamist theocracy. Who knows? That's hardly the point. Geelani is Geelani because he is one person who is widely seen as a man who has not compromised vis-à-vis India. We may abhor him, disagree with him; and that's all that we can do. The truth lies in the minds of the people.

The interlocutors will solve the problem
You mean the Three Idiots? But then you can't ignore idiots, either. You can do so only at your own peril. And this triumvirate has been doing everything that interlocutors, by their very mandate, are not supposed to do. They speak to whosoever they want, they ignore whosoever they deem fit to. And they air their pompous vaingloriousness at press meets. So much for their haughtiness. At every stage they have been fanning hatred and trying to divide an already fractured society. You judge people by their actions and not their CVs. By this measure, this is a bunch of mischief-mongers.

With so much of central funds going in, Kashmiris are one pampered lot
If you have an idea about the volume of central funds going in, you ought to pay a visit to Kashmir and find out where it has been disappearing to. It's certainly not reaching the Kashmiri people. If there are pampered people around, those would be the rapacious puppet politicians and the fiendish security forces. After the shahtoosh ban, the weavers are living in penury. So are the fur workers. The silk industry has been dealt with a severe blow. The Dal lake is all about a glorious past. And there's no militancy worth its name that is to be blamed for all this. The people live in abject misery, deeply scarred and mortally hurt.

The Indian media gave adequate coverage to the 2010 unrest
Actually, it's called lopsided coverage. All you saw splashed across newspaper pages and television screens last year were stone-pelters on the rampage against our genteel forces who were apparently acting under a lot of duress and restraint. Can't you ask yourself a few questions? How many of these mainstream media outlets even told you about the cause of the unrest? How many even reported how the forces would perpetrate atrocities on innocents? How many even told you that it has been all about structural issues for a while now?

Tourism figures prove Kashmir is peaceful
Wouldn't that be contradictory to (i)? And in any case, if you have fallen for this white lie, you must also have for the India Shining hoax, you gullible sod. This may not be the perfect analogy, but you ought to get the message. For one, Kashmiris are not a hostile lot. Indian tourists land, create a mess, throw a ruckus, strut around obscenely, click photographs, cluck sanctimonious tongues, pee all over the place, and become a sordid statistic in a propaganda lore. Even the Amarnath Yatra, barring a few unsavoury incidents propagated and perpetrated by the powers-that-always-are, have always carried on peacefully. Kashmiris are not in the habit of throwing spanners into the works of other people. It's not about peace; it's about anger, dissent, right to self-determination.

Aren't the remaining Kashmiri Pandits a hapless lot?
They certainly are going through trying times. As are others. But then, here's a count-question: how many times did you hear of Pandits being targeted in last year's five-month long agitation? It would have been way too easy for demonstrators to cook their goose. But was theirs?

"Yeh Ghazi yeh Tera Pur'israar Banda "

AN HOUR BEFORE DAWN ON 7 JUNE 2010,  the day Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was scheduled to visit Kashmir, I drove to Geelani’s home to meet him again. It was 4 am and Geelani was about to begin his morning prayers. A white-bearded man opened the gate and led me to a mosque just inside Geelani’s compound. Inside, there was a small gathering of bearded men, some old, some young, waiting for Geelani to lead their prayers. I heard some tentative footsteps approaching the mosque. It was Geelani. His nicely trimmed beard, not the kind attributed to fundamentalists, complimented his subtle expression and appearance. He looked extraordinarily fresh when he gazed at me through his moist green eyes.

Protesters clashing with police has become all too common.Geelani finished his prayers and led me inside his study room. He took down the Qur’an from the bookshelf, sat down cross-legged, and began reading the Arabic text until the morning sun breached the edge of the white curtains. He slowly guided his index finger along the written verses.

“Each time you study the Qur’an, you find new things, new inspirations.” Geelani said. “This book guides you on how you walk, how you treat your neighbours, your friends, your parents, your brothers, your sisters.”

“Is there any important political decision the Qur’an has helped you to make?” I asked.

“Yes, in every aspect,” he said. “It says sovreignty lies with almighty Allah. Sovreignty is not for the people, not for any dignity, or any family. It only lies in the hands of Allah.”

For a moment, the fiery old man seemed like an obedient student. Then the conversation turned back to politics. His demeanour changed. His body stiffened. “Just recently, I heard the news that some 12 years ago, two persons were arrested and put inside the Tihar jail,” Geelani said. “Now they have been proven innocent. Is this a law? Is this justice? It is very unfortunate that Islam is not seen as a complete way of life.” He was advocating sharia law.

“How do you see the Taliban?” I countered. “They say that they also follow Islam.”

“No, no, no... not at all,” Geelani said. “The Taliban does not represent Islam. Their actions are based on revenge.” He took a deep breath. “Islam doesn’t allow the killing of innocent people.”

He raised his arm toward the ridge of the wall and grabbed a portable radio set. It was now 7:30, and he tuned into a news bulletin from Pakistan. With his head down, he listened intently. As in India, the stories covered shortages of electricity, a water crisis, unemployment, etc. He turned off the radio.


Geelani takes his morning dose of medication in the study of his Srinagar home. His health has been failing him for the last four years.He paused for a moment to finish his breakfast, two boiled eggs and milk custard. He has a history of chronic illnesses—kidney cancer, heart disease and bronchitis. He often wears a surgical mask to avoid the dust. He began reading a newspaper before I again interrupted him.

“What is your stand on militancy?” I asked.

He paused for a few minutes, seated in his centrally heated room, facing his bookshelves. He finally spoke. “India denied Kashmiris their right to self-determination by using their military power,” he said. “Our peaceful efforts were rejected. What alternative is there apart from fighting with guns?”

I asked him about the many foreign militants active in Kashmir. He invoked Bangladesh’s war of independence: “You know, once upon a time there was East Pakistan, do you remember? They raised the voice for Independence from West Pakistan, and India sent a regular army to help them. What is the justification? When we people do it, how is Pakistan wrong?”

Then the conversation turned to Pakistan’s covert actions in Kashmir and the idea that the UN’s plebiscite had become irrelevant. “What else do we have without the UN’s promise?” he asked, “and Pakistan is in that promise” He looked angry as he stood up and asked me to excuse him for a while. Soon he re-entered: “Those people [who given up on the plebiscite] are tired, it’s not their fault. Such things happen in a freedom struggle, that doesn’t mean we alter our history.”

A group of young men entered the room. They shook hands with Geelani. A short-bearded man began to speak, but Geelani cut him short. “Last Friday, you misbehaved in the gathering, you chanted slogans despite the fact I was speaking at the microphone. You actually disrupted my speech.” In a few moments, Geelani seemed happy again, as if nothing had happened. His back was touching the wall. Behind him hung a calendar inscribed with a promise from Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, to the people of Kashmir. It affirmed their right to the plebiscite.

This article was published on Disputed Kashmir. The title of the article has been altered.