Srinagar, August 18
Riding high on anti-India sentiments, the separatists drew a huge crowd during a rally (UNI put the number at over 1 lakh) and submitted memorandums at the local office of the United Nations Military Observers Group at Sonwar here today. Though the Coordination Committee, comprising both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, lawyers, traders, social and business groups, did not submit its memorandum, other constituents of the committee submitted the memorandums in separate representative groups.

Earlier, addressing a rally at the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) grounds here, the separatists sought a permanent resolution of the Kashmir issue in the wake of an “economic blockade” against the valley and asked India to hold tripartite talks and open cross-LoC routes for the movement of people and trade purposes.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq read out the memorandum addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and put forth three demands in view of the present crisis.

The memorandum called upon India to end its “forcible occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and also desist from use of brute force” against the people.

Secondly, it sought the right of self-determination be granted to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which had been conceded to them by Pakistan and India and approved by the UNO.

Thirdly, the memorandum sought to end “discrimination, violence and oppression of Muslims in the Jammu region.”