Valley shutdown marks death anniversaries of Moulvi, Lone

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 21

Normal life was affected in Kashmir on Monday due to a shutdown call issued to commemorate the death anniversaries of Moulvi Farooq, Abdul Gani Lone and also Hawal massacre victims.

The joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik had called for a march and complete shutdown to mark the death anniversaries of the two leaders.

The government placed the separatist leaders under detention and imposed restrictions in downtown areas. Eidagh grounds were kept out of bound for the people.

“The nation today joins to pay glowing tributes to the people’s leader #ShaheedEMillat Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq, #ShaheedEHurriyat Abdul Ghani Lone and the #61Martyrs of #HawalMassacre on their martyrdom anniversary. The rulers will not allow us to collectively commemorate this day,” Mirwaiz wrote on Twitter. Later, he went live on the social networking site.

Moulvi Farooq was killed on May 21, 1990, while Lone was killed on May 21, 2002 at Eidgah, by unknown gunmen. Both Moulvi Farooq and Lone are buried at the martyrs’ graveyard at Eidgah.

In response to the shutdown call, shops and other business establishments in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley remained closed. Traffic too remained off the roads.

Moulvi Farooq, the 14th Mirwaiz (chief cleric) of Kashmir, was killed by unidentified gunmen after they barged into his Nigeen residence. Subsequently, CRPF men fired at the huge procession carrying his coffin at Hawal near Islami College, leading to the death of 60 civilians.