Hurriyat (M) voices concern over unabated incidents of braid chopping

Srinagar: Expressing serious concern over the unabated incidents of braid chopping and now incidents of theft of gold jewelry and cash from the households from various parts of Kashmir by mysterious criminal elements, Hurriyat Conference (M) spokesman said it is an irony that the Government and its Police has failed to nab the culprits and stop the incidents of hair cutting that have left the population especially the women folk of Kashmir in great distress and a state of fear.
In a statement issued issued here on Monday the Hurriyat (M) Spokesman said so far people of Kashmir have only witnessed the tall claims and hollow assurances on the part of the police without any tangible progress in apprehending the elements involved in these incidents which has led many to believe that the culprits are being shielded. He said the height of the oppression is that when people try to raise their voice against such incidents, police uses force including bullets, pellets and tear gas on the peaceful protestors which is highly condemnable.
Hurriyat (M) spokesman said that the use of brutal force on the peaceful protestors who protest on issues of mass concern like braid cutting speaks of the intolerance of the authorities towards public outcry and he said that it is being deliberately done to terrorize the people of Kashmir in order to pressurize them to relinquish their genuine and legitimate struggle.
Spokesman said that in the wake of rising incidents of braid cutting in Kashmir, many elderly figures, prominent citizens and social activists visited the residence of incarcerated APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and shared their concern and anxiety over the frequent incidents of braid cutting and harassment of the women folk with him. The delegations apprised Mirwaiz about the level of fear created by some people who also throw stones at the roof-tops of residential houses and at their entry gates in the dead of the night resulting in the panic among residents.
Hurriyat (M) spokesman said that the struggle of Kashmiris has reached the stage where now certain opposition parties and civil society groups of India also have realised the importance of resolving the long pending issues of Kashmir and are advocating immediate resolution of the issue for durable peace in the region. He, however, said it was an irony that the present dispensation at New Delhi continues with its rigid and stubborn approach towards Kashmir and wants to follow its traditional iron fist policy and military approach rather than taking steps for resolving the issue.
Reacting to the recent assertions of India’s External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swraj, the APHC spokesman said the fact remains that the bitterness between India and Pakistan has remained mainly because of the pending Kashmir dispute which has been the reason of wars and acrimony between these two neighbors. He said it is evident that unless Kashmir issue is resolved keeping in view the wishes and aspirations of the people of Kashmir the claims of peace building and stability in the region will remain elusive. He said it can be realized only either by implementing UNSC resolutions on Kashmir or through a meaningful dialogue among India, Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.