General Strike and roadblocks in Kashmir

During the mass protests of 13^th April 2006, speaking at a mass rally of several thousand people, comrade Shujat Kazmi, the organizer of United People’s Front, announced a general strike, to be held on Saturday 22^nd April throughout Kashmir, for the fulfillment of their demands.

At 8 o’ clock in the morning of Saturday 22^nd April people started to gather at the main bus stand of Muzaffarabad, the Capital of the Pakistani Occupied Kashmir. By 9 o’clock the gathering had swelled to more than 5000 people. Under the leadership of comrade Shujat Kazmi the demonstration started to move through the main streets and bazaars of Muzaffarabad. The protest rally was held under the banner of the “People’s Right March”. The organisations that endorsed and supported this call for the general strike and march were United People’s Front, Revolutionary Youth Alliance, Students United Front and the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC).

The morale of the demonstrators was very high and they were brimming with enthusiasm and revolutionary fervour. The echo of the revolutionary slogans from the Himalayan valley could be heard far and wide. The main slogans were “Whilst the masses suffer, the war will go on,” “Whilst the masses are hungry, this freedom is false, we reject these laws of tyranny and repression”, “the rule of bullets and truncheons shall be obliterated”, “no to electricity bills, no to utility bills, Revolution, Revolution… Socialist Revolution”.

The rally, after passing through different areas, arrived at Aziz Square in the centre of the city. There were such huge crowds that people were sitting on all the roads to the square. There were several speakers that included the local leaders of the PPP. All the speakers launched severe attacks on the regime for failing in the relief and rehabilitation operation and not providing the announced compensation to the victims.

They warned the regime that if their demands are not met the struggle to overthrow the rulers would be further intensified. The last speaker was the coordinator of the United People’s Front, comrade Shujat Kazmi. He said that this is a class war and it has to be fought by the oppressed against the oppressors. He said that the toilers have to rekindle the traditions of the 1968-69 revolution in Pakistan.

This exploitative capitalist system must be overthrown for the genuine freedom and salvation of the toiling masses. By changing the faces of the rulers the destiny of the masses cannot change. Hence the masses can change their destiny only by carrying through a Socialist Revolution.

In the end Kazmi said that the next plan of the struggle would be announced for May Day, International Workers Day. During the rally electricity, water and other utility bills were burnt in the main squares of the city.

Meanwhile from 08:00 hrs in the morning all the shops, restaurants, schools and other institutions of Muzaffarabad were closed. There was a total strike of transport. Roadblocks were erected on all the main roads to and from Muzaffarabad, including the Srinagar (Capital of Indian Occupied Kashmir) Muzaffarabad highway.

Neelum Valley:

Like Muzaffarabad there was a complete strike, shutterdown and wheel jam in all the towns and villages of the Neelum Valley. From 8am to 2pm not a single vehicle moved. All shops and communal centres were closed down. There were protest rallies and demonstrations in the towns of Kahuri, Pateika and Devlian in which hundreds if not thousands participated.

Jhelum Valley:

 In the Jhelum valley the main Srinagar highway was blocked and there was a complete wheel jam. The towns of Ghari Dupata, Hatian, Bala, Chinari, Dhani, Chakar, Chitian, Majohi, Thota, Jarohi, Dhandali, Rahra and Dalai observed a complete strike. All Bazaars and public institutions were closed down.

There were mass rallies and demonstrations in 14 towns in the valley. Thousands participated and most of the speakers and organisers of these events belonged to the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC), Jammu Kashmir Revolutionary Youth Alliance and the left wing of the PPP. The speakers vowed to continue the struggle till the fulfillment of their demands and expressed their resolve to transform this rotten exploitative system. In the town of Ghari Dupata police arrested comrade Rashad Naqvi, comrade Farhad Iqbal and comrade Munir Satti from the demonstration. This was a provocation for the masses and a huge crowd marched towards the police lock up station and besieged it. They demanded the immediate release of their comrades. Such was the mass pressure that the police was terrified and they had to release the three comrades within minutes of the siege. In the towns of Majohi the police tried to disperse the demonstration by firing live ammunition over the heads of the demonstration. But instead of dispersing the masses retaliated and the police had to flee. There were similar incidents in other towns in the Jhelum and Neelum valley. According to a conservative estimate more than 20,000 people were on the roads in the Jehlum valley.

Rawlakot:

Although the strike call was given from Muzaffarabad the JKRYA called a solidarity strike in other far flung districts of Kashmir. The transport and shopkeepers associations agreed to join the strike in advance. The shops and other public institutions closed down from 8am to 2pm. There was a total shutterdown and wheel jam in Rawlakot. A rally of more than one thousand people took place in Rawlakot. The main speakers were comrade Adil Khan, coordinator of the JKRYA, president of transportation union Sardar Arshad and the district president of the PPP, Raja Ejaz. It was announced that May Day would also be a protest day for the fulfillment of the demands of the victims of the earthquake.

In the town of Chotagala there was also a complete strike on Saturday 22^nd April. More than 500 attended the protest rally. This rally was organised by six young comrades under the age of 18. In the Poonch district the largest rally was held in Khaigala in which more than 2,000 people participated. There was also a complete strike in this area.

In the town of Hajera and Thorar there was five hours of complete strike and a large rally was organised by the JKRYA.

In the devastated town of Bagh a protest demonstration was organised by the JKRYA. In the rally the two main leaders of JKRYA, comrade Abid Hussain and comrade Abid Chughtai, gave revolutionary speeches at the end of the demonstration.

This was the biggest general strike ever held in the Pakistani held Kashmir. The Rally in Muzaffarabad was the largest in the city’s history. This movement was organised by the Kashmiri Marxists. What used to be the main base towns of the Islamic Fundamentalists are now being taken over by the Marxists. The most significant aspect of this strike was that it was without violence or destruction, not a single person was injured in these huge mass protests throughout the Pakistani controlled Kashmir. The comrades were disciplined and controlled the rallies and demonstration meticulously. This general strike also shows the rising force and strength of revolutionary Marxism in Kashmir. But above all these events will be a source of inspiration and encouragement for youth and workers in Indian Occupied Kashmir and rest of Pakistan. This is the new beginning of the Kashmir Revolution.

Reported by S.N Shoorida

Some further coverage from the Pakistani press:

ERRA in trouble in Azad Kashmir

Earthquake victims rally in Azad Kashmir to seek help

Muzaffarabad quake-hit to hold general strike on April 22

Police and quake survivors clash in Azad Kashmir

• Insurrection in Kashmir (April 18, 2006)