Geelani writes to German Chancellor Seeks her help in cancelling concert Srinagar, Sep 06 :Disappointed over ‘indifferent and insensitive attitude of Germany’ to aspirations of Kashmiri people, Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani Friday wrote a letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel seeking her immediate intervention in stopping Zubin Mehta’s musical concert scheduled to be held tomorrow at Shalimar garden. “The Kashmiri people had high hopes that Germany after reunification will play a meaningful and responsible role in resolution of Kashmir dispute for an enduring and just peace in South Asia. But Kashmiris are dismayed and disappointed over decision of German Embassy in India to organize Zubin Mehta’s musical concert in Kashmir,” Geelani wrote in the letter. He said despite concerns and opposition by Kashmiri people, the German embassy has decided to go ahead with the concert. “We believe that this concert is being used by India to legitimize its ‘military occupation of Kashmir’ and ‘whitewash shameful atrocities’ in Kashmir”. Referring to German intention in organizing the musical concert, Geelani said, “We are convinced of Germany’s good intentions but are disappointed that the initiative of German embassy is indifferent and insensitive to the aspirations of Kashmiri people”. “We are also disappointed that the German embassy in India has relied on the same security grid for the concert, which has been internationally indicted for its serious human rights violations. We hope you would immediately intervene to stop this concert as it is a very unfortunate development in relation to the future of peace in this region,” he wrote. The September 7 musical concert by Mumbai-born Western classical music maestro Zubin Mehta has run into rough weather with separatists, religious leader and civil society members opposing holding of musical show. “Kashmiri people have always been grateful for the principled support for universal human rights and a peaceful, negotiated settlement to all international disputes by the members of the European Union,” further wrote Geelani, who has called for shutdown tomorrow. He said Kashmiris still wait with patience for that day when they could join the larger collective struggle for a new era of justice and peace. “It is for this reason Kashmiris expressed unwavering support for United Nations resolutions on Kashmir even as the international community did little to honour its commitments and responsibilities to the Kashmiri people”. The ailing separatist leader said the decision by Germany Embassy to organize musical concert against the wishes of the Kashmiri people has forced him to seek your intervention. “Kashmir is a disputed territory and such an intervention undermines the efforts of Kashmir people, who have been struggling against India’s illegal military occupation since 1947.”. Stating that Kashmir and Kashmiri culture goes back thousands of years and Kashmiris are eager for cultural exchanges and dialogue with rest of the world, he said, “When culture is used to whitewash human rights abuses, dilute Kashmir’s disputed status and project a false image of a wounded Kashmir to the world, it pains us that the great German people are being made complicit by India in such a blatant distortion of the truth”.
Posted on: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 05:07:10 +0000
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