New Delhi, May 24: Rebels join issue with Kashmiri separatists. Extend helping hand to ‘freedom struggle’ in the Valley. IB says they are expanding base in Delhi.
The government is talking Pakistan again, but it seems soon it will have to contend with another player in Red letter day resolving the Kashmir issue, apart from the separatists and insurgents in the Valley.
As if they were not causing enough headaches to the government already in the insurgency hotbed of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand, the Naxals are trying to gain a foothold in Kashmir by extending a hand of friendship to those waging a “freedom struggle” in the Valley. And the point of entry to the ‘heaven-turned-haven for terror’ is Afzal Guru, who is serving death row in the 2001 Parliament attack case.
The intentions of the rebels were revealed in a CPI (Maoist) secret document, in the possession of the Intelligence Bureau, where they have openly vowed support for Guru, terming death penalty for him “illegal”.
The document alludes to a resolution adopted in the party Congress held in the Terai area of eastern Uttar Pradesh near the Indo-Nepal border.
The Maoist literature, printed in the format of a magazine with glossy cover, mentions Afzal Guru under the head ‘Resolution over the struggle of nationalities’. “The state of India has pronounced capital punishment for Afzal Guru as part of a conspiracy against the freedom movement in Kashmir,” the resolution read.
Though the meeting was held a year ago, the document that was termed ‘highly classified’ by the Intelligence Bureau is under close scrutiny. Sources in the IB revealed that based upon the information gathered from the magazine, the spy agency has been tracking the movement of the Naxals in their desperate bid to expand base in urban centers.
“The country has witnessed a couple of big Naxal attacks in the last two weeks. Although there is no clear indication that they had any link with Afzal Guru, the rebel propaganda clearly establishes sympathy towards separatist movement in Kashmir,” said an IB official, requesting anonymity.
“Any such move may further escalate the situation in the Valley,” he pointed out.
The 38-page magazine clearly states that the State has used capital punishment as a tool for settling political scores.
“Death for Afzal Guru manifests the State’s intentions to use capital punishment to muzzle socialist and nationalist movements. The ninth Ekta Congress condemns the fascist move to hang Afzal Guru. The Congress resolves to extend all support to those working against the execution of Afzal Guru,” the resolution read.
-Agencies