[Reader-list] Unchanged strategy fuelling fire in Kashmir - KashmirTimes

[Pawan Durani]

Shuddha ,

Your interest in articles are in itself very interesting.

Yesterday I met one Rameez Raja from Srinagar , he said that stone
pelters are now emplyed long terms on monthly basis.

Pawan

On 8/25/10, Bipin Trivedi <aliens at dataone.in> wrote:
>
> 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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