(rptg rephrasing para one)

Jammu, Aug 15 (UNI) Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti (SAYSS), a conglomerate of several outfits spearheading the ongoing agitation for the restoration of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board(SASB), today said the protest is a ''fight of nationalists against the separatists forces.'' ''Independence Day reminds us of freedom fighters, who sacrificed their lives in the interest of the nation and similarly the Jammu agitation has now become peoples movement against discrimination and a fight against separatists,'' Leela Karan Sharma, convenor, SAYSS said while addressing a mammoth gathering of around 20,000 people at historical Mubarak Mandi Complex on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations here.

Mr Sharma after hoisting the tri-colour, in his speech said the war against separatist forces has been announced and it would end with a victory.

''We have no grudges with the people of Kashmir, but they are being misled by some anti-national forces,'' Mr Sharma said.

As compared to the Valley, Jammu is facing discrimination for the last six decades and now the Kashmir centric leadership has attacked our religious sentiments, which was not acceptable, the SAYSS convenor noted.

''The Amarnath controversy has awakened everyone and is being supported by the masses from Kashmir to Kanyakumari,'' Mr Sharma said.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in his public address has appealed to fight against terrorism but the government at Centre itself pays heed to the words of Kashmir centric leadership, he added.

The SAYSS leaders, however, said if nothing would be announced by August 20, the ongoing agitation would be intensified further.

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