Srinagar, May 21 (KNO): Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Thursday said May 21 remains a painful reminder of one of the darkest chapters in Kashmir’s history, recalling the martyrdom of Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq and the killings of the Hawal martyrs.
In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a spokesperson said Mirwaiz, in a post on X, remembered Shaheed-e-Millat as a beloved leader and voice of the people whose martyrdom left Kashmir in grief.
Recalling the events that followed, Mirwaiz said the mayhem in Hawal, in which more than 70 mourners were killed and hundreds injured, remains deeply etched in the collective memory of the people. He said the sacrifices of the Hawal martyrs continue to be remembered with grief, reverence and resolve.
He further said that years later, on the same date, another courageous voice was silenced when Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone was “snatched from the people.”
Expressing resentment over restrictions on remembrance gatherings and tributes, Mirwaiz said it was unfortunate and condemnable that through “intimidation, might and media gags,” authorities prevented people from paying homage to their leaders and the Hawal martyrs.
He said even individual visits to Mazar-e-Shuhada at Eidgah for Fatiha prayers were disallowed, while he himself had been placed under house arrest since Wednesday evening.
Mirwaiz said such “repressive tactics” cannot change reality or erase the contribution and place these leaders continue to hold in the hearts of the people.
In memory of Shaheed-e-Millat, Mirwaiz also shared a brief glimpse into the life of Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq, recalling his religious, social and political contributions to Kashmir and its people.—(KNO)