Srinagar, Oct 20 (IANS): Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani Thursday said his party would deliberate on the central government's reported offer for a dialogue only after a formal invitation was received by him.
Geelani, who addressed a media conference at his uptown Hyderpora residence, was reacting to media reports which said the central government was likely to make an offer for an unconditional dialogue to Kashmiri separatist leaders.
"Once such an offer is made to us, our 'Majlis-e-Shoura' (assembly of elders) would meet where a decision would be taken," Geelani said.
Geelani, however, parried questions about any preconditions for the dialogue with the centre.
"Teri duwa hai ki hoye teri arzoo poori, meri duwa hai ki teri arzoo badal jaye (It is your prayer that your desire be granted/while it is my prayer that your desire changes)," he said.
The report had received credibility when academician Radha Kumar, who was a member of the three-member interlocutors' panel on Jammu and Kashmir, told mediapersons in Srinagar earlier this week that the centre was seriously mulling a dialogue offer to Kashmiri separatist leaders.
The Muzaffarabad-based United Jehad Council (UJC) had issued a statement Tuesday which was carried by a local news agency asking separatist leaders not to engage in any dialogue with the Indian government.
Geelani toed his usual anti-India line.
"Till the forcible occupation ends, the majority of the people of Jammu and Kashmir will suffer constantly. Therefore our basic demand is that the forcible occupation of India should end without any delay."
Geelani also criticized the state government "for trying to change local demography by establishing slums of non-locals".
"Non-locals are being established here in slums on unoccupied lands through tented habitations. This is similar to the Israeli tactics. Both the problems of Kashmir and Palestine were created in 1947 and 1948, respectively. Because of Israeli occupation, four million Palestinians are living in exile today.
"We have statistics to prove that 4.89 lakh non-locals are being established in these slums through a policy to change the demography of the state."
The hardline separatist leader said no Kashmiri was against the annual Amarnath Yatra, but wanted the numbers of the pilgrims to be regulated.
"We are in favour of the annual Amarnath Yatra and when there was trouble in the Valley in 2008, we established free kitchens for the Yatris. But when 6.5 lakh people visit a place in just a month or so, the degrading effect on the environment cannot be overlooked."
Taking a dig at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who said here Tuesday that both pro- and anti-election politicians had been exploiting Kashmiri youth, he said: "The people in power blame us for exploiting the youth, but it is these very people who have provided colours to the Indian map in Kashmir.
"It was the NC founder (Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah) who passed the land grants bill giving 99-year lease rights to people belonging to outside the state. It was the 'hero' of NC who established Indian occupation in Kashmir. He also passed the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA).
"Cultural aggression is more dangerous than physical occupation. In the name of culture, in universities and colleges our students are asked to dance, promising them more evaluation points in the exams."
Referring to unmarked graves discovered in some districts of the state, Geelani claimed: "Ten thousand people are still missing during the last two decades whose whereabouts are not known. In just three districts, we have reports of over 6,000 unmarked graves.
"If a proper survey is carried out, there would be many more such unmarked graves where innocent people are buried."