NEW DELHI, Oct 13: The Indian establishment which had rushed to give succour to victims of earthquakes that rocked Maharashtra and Gujarat in the last decade is conspicuous by its absence in Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmiri resistance leaders have said.

“It is sad that people have not responded to this great tragedy. This was not expected. When Latur and Bhuj were ravaged, big industrialists stepped forward to help. But no one seems to be coming to our aid,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been quoted by the Indian Express as saying.

“This is a national tragedy, a tragedy for Kashmiris on this side of the LoC and on the other side. This tragedy has not recognized the LoC. For the first time, we have been witness to such destruction, put to such a test. Thousands have died in Uri, Tangdhar, Muzaffarabad and Rawlakot,” the Mirwaiz told a special prayer meeting at Srinagar’s Jama Masjid on Tuesday.