[Reader-list] Fresh clashes rock Valley, mob targets Sikh locality

[Sanjay Kak]

In our continued engagement with media truths, and for a more detailed
account of the same incident ("fascist forces and sidelined separatist
elements are targetting innocent minorities") do please see the
following report from the Srinagar daily, the Rising Kashmir.
I would particularly recommend the last few paragraphs.

Best

Sanjay Kak

http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13545&Itemid=1

JKLF, JaH play catalyst
Communal tension defused in Rangreth
Wasim Khalid

Srinagar, June 04: The tension between two communities at Rangreth was
defused by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and Jamiat Ahlihadees on
Thursday. Later, a large procession comprising of the members of the
two communities led a massive pro-freedom procession in the area.
On Wednesday, tension escalated between the majority and minority
community in Rangreth area. As the tensions were brewing between the
two communities, JKLF General Secretary, Ghulam Rasool Dar Idi, Jamiat
Ahlihadees President Moulana Showkat Shah and senior district
officials including DC Rafi Ahmad also reached the spot.
Addressing the leaders of both the communities JKLF General Secretary
Ghulam Rasool Dar Idi said nobody can deny the fact that Muslims being
the majority community have to protect the minorities in all
circumstances.
“This situation is the creation of rumour mills,” Dar said. “We have
to keep alert of unscrupulous elements who want to malign communal
harmony and our freedom struggle.”
Talking to Rising Kashmir, Maulana Showkat Shah said: “It was really
heart breaking to know about communal tension. As soon as I came to
know about the incident, I left for the destination to talk with both
community leaders.”
He said he called upon the leaders from both the communities to engage
them in dialogue.
“Apart from the locals of the minority community, there were members
of Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee. A large number of youth from the
majority community were also present,” Shah said. “We told them it is
a very unfortunate incident. We told them Kashmir has history of
communal harmony and brotherhood even if worst of times.”
The religious cleric told both communities that in Islam, it is the
responsibility of Muslims to protect the minority, their interests and
property.
“So we informed Muslims, we cannot go against the basic tenets of
Islam,” Shah said. “The leaders of the minority community also said
they would take action against the erring members.”
He said both the parties agreed that they would not harm each other
and the looming communal tension was eased off.
Senior police officials including SSP Ahfadul Mujtaba and SP South
Irshad Ahmad were also present during the negotiations.
Earlier workers of PDP and NC member assembly Nasir Sogami, Agha
Rohulla also went to Rangreth. But they faced hostile crowds and
escaped from the spot.
Earlier, BJP leader, Ashok Khajuria was debarred to embark plane from
Jammu to Srinagar.
Sources said he was planning to visit Rangreth and stoke communal unrest.
Meanwhile, to express solidarity with each other, the members of the
majority as well as the minority communities brought out a pro-freedom
march.
Raising pro-freedom slogans, people of both communities pledged that
they would not play at the hands of unscrupulous element who want to
exploit the situation.
The protesters marched from Rangreth to Rawalpora bridge and back.
Afterwards, Moulana Shokwat along with other leaders went to police
station to free two youth who were arrested in the case.
“They were released. And tension between two communities was settled
amicably,” Idi said.
The tension had erupted after an inebriated youth of the minority
community driving a car hit a kid on the roadside. Afterwards, the
boozer disembarked the car and started beating four boys of the
majority community who were enroute to local playground
Watching the inebriated youth rough up four boys of the majority
community on the roadside in an area in Rangreth which has a fair
population of the minority community, the members of other minority
community mistook the majority community as accused for causing
accident and attacked them with swords leaving a youth of the majority
community injured.
Following that, members of the majority community in surrounding areas
attacked the residential houses of the minority community and broke
their window panes.
Authorities imposed curfew to prevent any untoward incident in view of
communal reprisals.
Nobody was allowed to go beyond Wanbal area toward Rangreth till
Thursday afternoon.

On Fri, Jun 5, 2009 at 12:35 PM, Aditya Raj Kaul<kauladityaraj at gmail.com> wrote:
> *The latest 'insider truth' is here for all to see. The fascist forces and
> sidelined separatist elements are targetting innocent minorities.
>
> Fresh clashes rock Valley, mob targets Sikh locality*
> *Indian Express*
> *June 05, 2009 *
>
> *Srinagar *A predominantly Sikh neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city
> was targeted by a mob as fresh protests and a strike triggered by the
> alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian continued to cripple life in
> large parts of the Valley for the fourth consecutive day.
>
> A group of people ransacked 20 houses at Rangreth, breaking window panes and
> damaging other property on Wednesday evening. Paramjit Kaur, whose house was
> among those targeted, said: “It happened around 7.45 pm on Wednesday when a
> group of people first started hurling stones. They broke our gate and
> destroyed everything that came their way. I along with my children hid in
> the attic to save ourselves from the frenzied mob.”
>
> “This had never happened in the past 20 years,” said Jaspal Singh, an
> engineer whose house, too, was ransacked. A few cars were also damaged by
> the mob.
>
> Locals said trouble began when a group of protesters enforcing the strike
> stopped a car being driven by a Sikh. They damaged the car following which
> there was a scuffle, in which one of the protesters was injured. This was
> followed by the violence at Rangreth.
>
> The authorities reached the area to control the situation. “We held a
> meeting with the Muslim and Sikh residents and later a peace march was taken
> out by both of the communities,” said Budgam Deputy Commissioner Mohammad
> Rafi. On Thursday, hundreds of Muslim women and men from nearby areas
> thronged Rangreth and assured the Sikhs of their safety.
>
> Meanwhile, fresh clashes between protesters and the police broke out in
> Srinagar and Shopian districts after news spread about the death of a
> protester. Nisar Ahmad, 25, who was injured during protests on Monday, died
> at a hospital on Thursday morning. At least 42 people were injured in the
> fresh clashes.
>
> *editor at expressindia.com*
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