[Reader-list] Unchanged strategy fuelling fire in Kashmir - KashmirTimes
Bipin Trivedi
aliens at dataone.in
Wed Aug 25 21:15:23 IST 2010
The stand taken by state/central government is absolutely right and so the remark by CRPF officer is also right and. It is time now to act with iron hand with separatists movement supporters and if necessary government should act firmly with Pakistan also.
Thanks
Bipin Trivedi
-----Original Message-----
From: reader-list-bounces at sarai.net [mailto:reader-list-bounces at sarai.net] On Behalf Of Shuddhabrata Sengupta
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 4:56 PM
To: sarai-list list
Subject: [Reader-list] Unchanged strategy fuelling fire in Kashmir - Kashmir Times
Dear all,
I was forwarded this report, dated August 22, from the Kashmir Times
recently. I thought it would be of interest to members of the list.
Please note the remarks attributed to the CRPF officer at the end.
best
Shuddha
------------------
Unchanged strategy fuelling fire in Kashmir
KT NEWS SERVICE
http://www.kashmirtimes.com/archive/1008/100823/news8.htm
KASHMIR TIMES, SRINAGAR, Aug 22: With no change in the strategy of
the state and central governments in sight, there hardly seems any
chance in near future of the ongoing killings, curfews and strikes
coming to an end.
Both the state government and centre continue with their strategy
to end the ongoing protests with maximium use of security forces and
police personnel on the ground and their subsequent actions. Amid the
claims of directions of restraints to the security and police men,
there is no end to firing bullets on protestors and firing directly
smoke shells on them.
While the prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia
Gandhi and chief minister Omar Abdullah say sorry for the killings,
condole the death and express sympathies with the bereaved families,
the death toll increases with every passing day.
However, from New Delhi to Srinagar, one voice slightly sounded
different from others in government establishment. That is that of
the governor N N Vohra, who directed the security forces and police
to revisit their strategy of controlling mobs to ensure maximium
protection to human lives. He mentioned this change of strategy in
his Independence Day message, circulated on the evening of August 14
and later during his meeting with Director General of CRPF here.
The direction of Vohra, who has acted as interlocutor of the union
government for talks with separatists in the past, could not also
bring any change at the ground level.
There is a feeling here that the key to defuse the tension lies
with the government. Stopping the killings can prove effective in
this manner. “With every killing, the tempers run high in Kashmir.
The government used to say that they were firing on violent
protestors, but were the seven year old Milad Ahmad Dar of Kulgam and
Sameer Ahmad Khan of Batamaloo violent protestors,” asks Abdul Majid,
a business man.
The appeal of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman Hurriyat Conference
(G), to protestors not to attack police stations and government
property did evoke a significant response on the ground. The attacks,
which had made the police personnel insecure, came almost to an end.
But the government strategy did not undergo any change as is evident
from the increasing number of killings.
“It seems that despite the assurances by the chief minister
regarding space for the pro-freedom people, even peaceful protests
are disallowed. Whenever peaceful protest is held, government comes
with an iron hand and forces the protestors to resort to stone
pelting,” said Rayees Ahmad, a teacher.
Rakesh Kumar, a CRPF official, said whatever the ruling parties’
leaders from Srinagar to Delhi say to media, but they have directed
forces to strictly crush the protests. “We have been asked not to
allow these protests and ensure that people remain confined inside
their homes during declared or undeclared curfew,” he said.
Rakesh added that nobody has directed them not to open fire. “We
are free to use force when the need arises even if we may try to
observe restraint,” he said.
According to him restraint is a vague term in present situation.
“Dealing with the protestors depends upon the situation on the ground
and the attitude of the security men towards it at that time,” he said.
Shuddhabrata Sengupta
The Sarai Programme at CSDS
Raqs Media Collective
shuddha at sarai.net
www.sarai.net
www.raqsmediacollective.net
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