Srinagar: The Indian government has released Kashmiri freedom leader Mir Waiz Omar Farooq after more than 4 years of house arrest in occupied Kashmir. According to the foreign news agency AFP’s report, the 50-year-old Kashmiri freedom leader Mir Waiz Omar Farooq was under house arrest when the government revoked the semi-autonomous status of occupied Kashmir and placed it directly under federal control in 2019.After months of internet blackout to control protesters, India had increased the presence of armed forces in the region. However, several detained freedom leaders in occupied Kashmir were released later, but Mir Waiz Omar Farooq had been kept under house arrest in Srinagar.Thousands of worshippers gathered at the Grand Mosque in Srinagar to see him leading Friday prayers for the first time in 218 weeks.Last week, a court had asked authorities to clarify his continuous house arrest, and he had told the public that he was informed by the police on Thursday that the authorities had decided to release him. He said, “This period of house arrest and separation from my people has been most painful for me, especially after my father’s death.”Mir Waiz criticized the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government for imposing constitutional changes, saying, “Thank God, our spirits are high.” He also said that when Narendra Modi talked about Ukraine and said it’s not the time for war, he is right. Differences should be resolved through dialogue rather than the use of force. However, he also called for the release of several political detainees.It’s important to note that Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, and both countries claim the entire region, leading to multiple wars and conflicts over the disputed territory.The insurgency against India began in 1989 in occupied Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of thousands, including Indian soldiers, militants, and civilians. According to the report, a significant number of security personnel, including the police and commandos, had been deployed around the mosque today.Movements operating to bring peace and prosperity to the region have allowed Indian citizens from other areas to buy land and secure government employment in the disputed territory. However, this policy has been criticized by critics as a form of demographic change. The report also states that while there has been a visible reduction in armed clashes involving Indian soldiers and those demanding freedom or accession to Pakistan, violence has increased this month, with at least 14 people, including 8 security personnel, killed so far.