Syed Ali Shah Geelani sees conspiracy in Pandits' return to exclusive clusters in Kashmir

Srinagar - Pro-Pakistan separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday came up with yet another conspiracy theory that the central government's move to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits in exclusive clusters was essentially a plan to settle the members of the Right wing Hindu groups in Kashmir to fight Kashmiri Muslims.

Though Geelani called for the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits to their native places in the valley he opposed the government's move to rehabilitate them in exclusive clusters as "a conspiracy to settle members of RSS and other Sangh Parivar groups'' in Kashmir.

"Kashmiri Hindus are the part of the Kashmiri society and should be rehabilitated at their original locations or the state government should provide them money for building houses in the residential localities where they can live with their Muslim neighbours,'' Geelani told reporters.

Geelani warned the government to withdraw the cluster policy and said he would launch a mass public contact programme to educate people about its ramifications. "...we would launch a massive public agitation to force the government to yield," he said. He said the government seeks to establish the clusters overtly for the displaced community, but in fact "wants to make non-state subject members of various Hindu groups to settle in these clusters were they will be given arms training to fight Kashmiris (Muslims).''

The timing of Geelani's opposition is bound to raise questions as the cluster policy has been in place for a while and comes at a time when Kashmir is witnessing a bumper tourist season for the second year following massive street protests in 2010. The Hurriyat has been trying to create a similar mass uprising and looking for excuses as it seems to be running out of ideas.

He described chief minister Omar Abdullah "as a puppet'' who is all set to implement the "nefarious designs" of the central government. "The decision, which is aimed at tilting the demography, would lead to civil war in the state.'' He said this was being done to give communal colour to "the freedom movement''.

The state government has constructed 200 flats for the displaced community at Sheikhpora in Budgam district at the cost of Rs.22.90 crore.