PM Modi says those killed in Kashmir violence 'part of us', emphasises dialogue

PM Modi says those killed in Kashmir violence 'part of us', emphasises dialogue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed "deep pain" and concern over the prevailing situation in Kashmir Valley and emphasised on the need for dialogue to find a lasting solution within the framework of the Constitution.

He told a delegation of opposition leaders of Jammu and Kashmir that those who lost their lives during the recent disturbances are a "part of us" and it is a matter of "distress" whether the lives lost are of "our youth, security personnel or police," official sources said.

The Prime Minister said his government stands with the state of Jammu and Kashmir and suggested that all political parties should reach out to the people and convey the same.

During the meeting with the delegation led by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Prime Minister expressed "deep concern and pain" at the prevailing situation in the state and appealed for restoration of normalcy in the Valley which has been witnessing unrest for the last 44 days.(more)

What is happening in Kashmir? 10 new developments

What is happening in Kashmir? 10 new developments

Ten days after Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani was eliminated by the armed forces, Kashmir continues to see massive unrest, with the violence claiming over 40 lives.

The valley has seen protestors pelting stones, along with incidents of mobs attacking camps of armed forces. This has led to counter-attack by the security personnel too. The region has seen a complete standstill due to the curfew, with reports of people being unable to access healthcare facilities.

The unrest is likely to hit the Parliament as well as the Monsoon Session has commenced.

Here are ten updates to know on the situation in the region.

1. Nearly 2,000 additional CRPF personnel have been sent to Kashmir following the death of a protestor. The incident took place when a mob tried to barge into an army camp in Bandipora district of North Kashmir.

2. Stone pelting incidents continue to rise, with the latest ones being in areas of Kunzer in Baramulla and Eidgah in Srinagar.

3. Protests have intensified in the valley. On Monday, a PDP legislator was injured after a mob attacked his vehicle and turned it over. The legislator was on his way to Srinagar, according to a report in NDTV.

4. Former J&K CM, Omar Abdullah, has called the ten-day period as one of the worst in the past decade or so. "This is one of our worst periods in the last decade or so — certainly after the twin summers of 2008 and 2010. What led to it, that is fairly obvious – one of the two things happened: either the state government and its various intelligence wings completely failed to assess the fallout of Burhan Wani’s death; or having assessed it properly, they failed to put into place adequate measures to deal with the fallout,", he said in an interview to The Indian Express.

5. Citing violence and unrest, schools in Kashmir have extended their summer and Eid vacation till July 24.

(more)

Asking the right questions on Kashmir

Asking the right questions on Kashmir

My landlord in Patiala, Chief Manager with the State Bank of Patiala, a jovial Sikh once narrated the story of another Sardar who got so fed up with the cops stopping his scooter in Patiala all the time to check for weapons or explosives that he got the lid of his side dicky taken off completely to allow any and every cop a look-in. This was during the terrible days in the 1980s when the Khalistani movement was at its peak and Punjab police (predominantly Sikh) was one of the major targets. Hindu traders and businessmen (and many others no doubt) were also targeted, but they had the option of migrating out of Punjab and settling in Haryana or other states which many of them did, suffering big setbacks though.

The story (or perhaps the legend) of Burhan Wani — parts of it narrated in gushing tone by some — is somewhat similar but involves a little more than getting a scooter modified. Wani decided to wage war against the Indian state and became the poster boy of new Kashmiri militancy; shedding masks and aliases, embracing social media and becoming ‘cool’ for Kashmiri youth. The arrival of the new militancy wave has been reported in media for a long time and the warning signs have been visible.

His death has sparked violent protests in the valley, with police stations being torched, public property destroyed, policemen attacked with intent to kill, paramilitary camps attacked by violent mobs. At the last count, 21 people had died. According to reports, the forces timed Wani’s encounter after the by-election in Anantnag where CM and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti was contesting and won. Read more.