Omar Abdullah declares as gruesome & inhuman murder of 3 year old innocent child at Shopian, a slap on humanity

Asks all those elements, who join marches and chalo calls to hammer HR Violations, to break their stony silence

Terming the prevailing atmosphere where some particular elements for their personal vested interest resort to “Politics of hypocrisy”, the Chief Minister, Mr. Omar Abdullah has said that a stony silence was witnessed regarding yesterday’s unfortunate incident in Shopian area where a man along with his three year old innocent child was killed. He said people who use to raise all hue and cry if this crime would have been committed by security forces or the boy coming under a Army vehicle have preferred not to utter a word.

Speaking at a function at Radio Kashmir Auditorium, Srinagar the Chief Minister said that those people who raise hue and cry and joined prominently all the marches and all the Chalo calls to hammer the Human Rights Violations are mysteriously silent on such a gruesome murder of a three years innocent child. Mr. Omar Abdullah said that fairness, morality and respect for human rights demand that these elements who really believe in maintenance of human rights should have raised the same voice as they are used to raise on similar situations.

No call of Shopian Chalo, Lal Chowk Chalo and no calendar of hartals has been given on this gruesome incident, why Mr. Omar Abdullah questioned and added that a death is a death and murder a murder. He said that killing of a three year old is a gross violation of human rights but it has to be measured by equal standards.

Mr. Omar Abdullah said that when reports of security forces killings are received, these elements react while silence is maintained by them on this grave injustice and needs to be pondered over. “The silence does not be-hove these elements”, he said and added they should equally condemn the killing of a kid. “Every child of the state has a right to live a dignified life and change the destiny of J&K for good”. He said the people including the future generation have every right to strive for a better future. The people are seeking an answer to the silence maintained by these elements regarding the matter, he said.

Paying tributes to Priyadarshani Matoo, he said that today is a tribute to a young voice snatched ahead of her time and to those people who never give up. He said that as a parent himself, he would like to pay heartfelt tributes to the parents of Priyadarshani who stood often alone facing difficult odds against the system that was not designed to deliver justice to them.

The Chief Minister said that he would not have paid such attention to a function even if organized with a much larger audience and ambience. Mr. and Mrs. Mattoo had come after 14 years to their native place to organize the function and breaking silence by the Mattoo’s in itself is a story. He said that Priyadarshani will be remembered but I also want the parents to be remembered for the work they are doing for their daughter, because they are setting an example for other parents.

The Chief Minister presented shawls to Ustad Ghulam Ahmad Saz nawaz, Mr. Abdul Rashid Hafiz and Mrs. Ghulam Nabi Sheikh on the occasion.