The Hindu : Tributes to Lone

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 25, 2002

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Tributes to Lone

By Luv Puri

SRINAGAR MAY 24. Thousands gathered at the Idgah Grounds here today to pay tributes to the senior Hurriyat leader, Abdul Gani Lone, who was killed four days ago. The `fateh khani' ceremony lasted for around two hours in which senior Hurriyat leaders, Abdul Gani Bhat and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, were present. People from all parts of Kashmir, with the largest number from the border district of Kupwara, attended the ceremony.

Later a `Rasm-i-Charam' ceremony was organised at Lone's house at Sant Nagar in which people from all walks of life participated. Many raised pro-independence slogans and asked Sajjad Lone(Lone's son) to lead the People's Conference party which his father had represented. Several people, in their speeches, recalled their association with Lone. The former Hurriyat Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, described the assassination as a personal loss and to the very cause of Kashmiris. He said he and Lone shared similarity of approach towards solving the Kashmir dispute. Both believed that violence was no solution and that it must end. He also said

Lone was a frank person who spoke with logic and was open to ideas.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani said he had some differences with Lone but such differences were natural. He said he could not understand why a controversy had arisen over his absence at Idgah grounds when Lone was assassinated. "It was just a coincidence that I was not there."

Abdul Gani Bhat said the death of Lone was a big loss and reiterated his demand for an inquiry into the killing.

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Tributes to Lone