New Delhi

"I can confidently say that Kashmir has been reborn as a land of peace, prosperity, and progress. Jammu and Kashmir have seen many transitions that have taken it from a state of protest to a progressive union territory," this is what Mir Junaid, a young Kashmiri leader from Kashmir told a gathering in Washington DC, the USA during a conference.

Junaid was speaking at the National Press Club in Washington DC during a panel discussion titled 'Kashmir - From Turmoil to Transformation.’ organized by the International Centre for Peace Studies at the National Press Club, Washington DC. Mir Junaid, President of the J&K Workers Party, along with Touseef Raina, President of, the Municipal Council of Baramulla, spoke about the changing situation in Kashmir. 

"We have to look beyond the controversial rhetoric now. The countries who are beating the drums on global platforms befooling the world have nothing to do with Kashmir's peace, progress, and prosperity. Accept the fact that Kashmir is an existential problem for them, and that's why they want to keep the pot of violence boiling in Kashmir," Junaid said.

Asked about the fate of once a well-coordinated formidable separatist conglomerate, the so-called All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders, he said the leaders are facing serial reverses, all in quick succession, in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mir Junaid said, "they are facing the law of the land, the rule of the land, which resulted in the collapse of the Hurriyat Conference in Kashmir. Just then- a handful of protestors interrupted the Kashmiri activist and disrupted the forum.

One person from among the audience yelled in response "Shame on you."

After being heckled, security personnel asked him to leave the room. The visibly angry protester lost his temper and was seen retorting with abuse.

"The whole audience has seen your real face today. What we have seen in Kashmir we saw in Washington today and thank you for showing the world how cruel how indecent these people are," said Junaid as he hit back in response to the disruption. All of this was caught on camera and the video grabbed headlines.

Mir Junaid is the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party (JKWP). He is a writer and a law graduate from the University of Kashmir. He tweets at @MirJunaidJKWP. "You have seen it all and this is what they did initially, what they are doing, they tried to silence me with the barrel of AK 47 If you gave them the 47 they will shoot us dead here right away. That’s because they don't want to face the truth. " Junaid added.

Touseef Raina spoke about the condition of women and children in Kashmir. He is the elected head of the Municipality and has been involved in a lot of social work. He too remained unperturbed by the interruption by the lone protester and continued to speak on the topic.