ISLAMABAD, Aug 31 (APP): The Indian Hindutva influence in Jammu and Kashmir was unsuccessful in weakening Syed Ali Gilani’s resolve in his pursuit of Kashmir’s freedom, as his character was defined by a strong spirit, moral values, and exceptional determination, said Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Chairman J&K People’s Freedom League.
On the occasion of his second martyrdom anniversary, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani offered glowing tributes, underscoring that Syed Ali Gilani Shaheed’s life and demise were dedicated to a profound and honorable cause.
Faced with the illegal and forceful occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, Gilani remained resolute in not surrendering his faith and ideology to the oppressors.
Employing various methods of torture, the occupiers relentlessly pursued him. Eventually, in 2010, he was arrested and confined, even in the midst of battling numerous ailments, while his own residence was transformed into a makeshift jail.
Until his passing on September 1, 2021, he remained confined within his own residence, which had been transformed into a sub-jail, with a continuous presence of police and army personnel.
Muhammad Farooq Rehmani highlighted that during his final years, Gilani Sahib confronted severe cardiac and other health challenges, yet he was never released from the state of siege and detention until he took his last breath.
However, even more disgraceful and distressing was the fact that the Indian authorities prevented his family from conducting the final funeral rituals of the martyred leader.
A curfew was imposed over the Valley, depriving the people of the opportunity to offer their last respects to the departed leader on that ill-fated night, he noted.
According to Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, the situation following Syed Ali Gilani’s demise had grown increasingly fragile.
Despite the might of India’s military, their attempts to quell or sway the people of Kashmir had proven entirely ineffective.
He further mentioned that the martyrdom week was being commemorated throughout Jammu and Kashmir by the Kashmiri people.
This was not only to honor the memory of Syed Gilani and all the other martyrs of Kashmir but also to reassert their commitment to persist in the struggle for freedom.
Their goal remains the complete withdrawal of every Indian military personnel from the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir region, allowing the Kashmiris to attain their rightful self-determination, he added.
