Aug 8, 2010

The Nether People"s Frustrations

            The nether people"s frustration in Kashmir Valley erupted once again during the month fueling a series of deaths in a cycle of violence that saw the apogee on 1 August. While many have attempted to describe the wave as an, "Intifida" on the lines of the Palestinian agitation, the series of incidents of stone pelting can be seen as a mix of mass disappointment fueled by separatist elements to advantage exploiting absence of clear political leadership and catalysed by opposing political forces. Thus the external militancy on the periphery is now supported by an internal confrontation to sustain separatism in the State for almost two months now starting on 11 June. While authorities have been able to devise a well calibrated approach to tackle the peripheral militancy there is a failure in meeting the sim fire violence of disturbances which has now also spread geographically as varying shades of political opinion seems to be fanning it.

A series of political measures such as an all party meeting in Srinagar has been attempted. The All Party Meet held by the Chief Minister on 12 July urged the state government to conduct probe into killings that have taken place in the Valley for the past two months. The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stayed away from the meeting seeking direct intervention by the Prime Minister, "Holding an all party meet at a time when much damage has been done and government has declared a war on its people would be a mere photo opportunity," the PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had said. This gave the Meet the colour of imperfection.

The situation took a turn for the worse on 01 August when eight personnel were killed in the Valley even as the Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh chaired an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security. The cycle of violence started when a woman and two men were killed as police fired to disperse mobs that blocked the Jammu-Srinagar highway and snatched weapons from security personnel in Pampore. A local Special Operations Group camp was attacked by the mob, leading to explosives stored there going off, killing four personnel and injuring two.

The total number of people killed since June 11 is now 29. In an exceptional move, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement on 29 July appealing to all concerned to exercise restraint. Farhan Haq, Ban"s spokesperson, said in the statement. "He (the UN chief) calls on all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and address problems peacefully." The new wave of protests at the end of the month exceeded the previous ones with even doctors and ambulances not spared and the Sopore railway station targeted the first time since the Qazigund and Baramulla train service was introduced.

Renewal of violence in Kashmir is an indication that the government has not been able to successfully conclude talks that were ongoing over a period when there was lull in the Valley. Breaking the spiral of violence is important that has not happened as it would come about only if there is political reconciliation and clamp down on hard line elements, since none of that has happened it is unlikely that there would be positive results evident in the days ahead.

The State government is willing to implement a number of fresh policy initiatives such as rehabilitation of former militants who had served jail sentence and are unemployed as well as a comprehensive policy for youths willing to return from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, however first priority of the government has to be to address the anarchy to stop the mindless violence which is taking a dangerous turn and which has to be stemmed rather than half hearted attempts at political reconciliation.

The state government is seen as not just weak but abjectly helpless in controlling mobs who are ransacking public property including police stations. There would be an urgent necessity of restoring order. Unless the current wave of violence is controlled there cannot be any political discussion for the embers of anarchy will have to be first doused to carry out any meaningful dialogue with positive conclusion.

The Army chief General V K Singh highlighted lack of gains made in the Valley from the success of controlling the peripheral militancy or violent terrorism. "So far as the Army is concerned, I think as security forces, a lot of work has been done. The situation has been brought to a particular level when other initiatives should have started to make way for betterment," he said. "The Kashmir situation has been tense for quite some time and the reasons are many. The basic reason being that we have not been able to build on the gains that have been made," Gen Singh told in an interview.

He highlighted the need for, "First of all, there has to be concerted efforts to identify the miscreants... There are few. There are people who are passing instructions on phone. They have to be identified. There are people financing the protests. They must be identified. After that, starts how do we connect with the common man and build confidence in him so that he can stay away from all this. Now this is both an administrative measure as well as it depends on the elected leaders out there at various levels. And last but not the least, if you want to impose curfew or something for containing a particular area, it has to be total. You can't have half-hearted measures," he said. While all these were perfect prescriptions in the given situation it appears to be a tall order for the State government to implement for an inexperienced Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to control.

AUG 2010