Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched fresh attack at neighbouring country Pakistan as he questioned its interference in the ongoing Kashmir violence. "Kehne ko naam Pakistan hai par hakatein saari naapaak hai (They call themselves Pakistan, but their actions are unholy)," said Singh. He added, "A terrorist was killed in India, and Pakistan is observing 'Black Day' there. Pak is interfering in the internal issue of India."
Stating that the government will be tough on militants, Singh said he had asked forces not to use fatal weapons and exercise maximum restraint while dealing with the brewing trouble in the Valley. "I want to inform everyone that I called the government in Jammu and Kashmir, asking everyone to exercise as much restraint as possible. We have asked forces not to use fatal weapons," he said. The Home Minister said there were 15 serious cases registered against killed terrorist and Hizbul Mujaheedin commander Burhan Wani, which lead to the violence in the region. As many as 1,948 civilians were injured and 1,744 of them discharged after treatment, 1,671 security force personnel were injured and one jawan died. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains concerned over the situation. "When Prime Minister Modi was on foreign tour, I didn't call him, but he did. He inquired about the Kashmir situation. And, after arriving back in India, the first meeting he held was a review meeting on the J&K situation."
Meanwhile, curfew entered its 12th day in 10 affected districts of Kashmir. Internet is largely inaccessible, mobile services shut, cable TV blocked, and newspapers failed to hit the stands for the fourth day. Add to this the troubles of petrol pumps and ATMs running high and dry, and mounds of garbage yet to be cleared by municipalities. A defaced elected government under the leadership of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti remains flustered.
A hotch-potch of events, a recent Intelligence Bureau report revealed that every year almost £10 million is being channelled from Pakistan to Kashmir through hawala channel to create nuisance in the region. The funds directly go to the separatists who distribute it among young men to take part in protest rallies against security forces. The report further said Pak's ISI recently held a meeting with Hizbul supreme commander Syed Salahuddin and Jamaat-ud-dawa chief Hafiz Saeed for illicit fund transfers and to appoint four new 'commanders' to fan trouble in the valley. In fact, a video of Saeed's speech in Urdu surfaced on social media. The terrorist hails the dead terrorist and says that "after Burhan's martydom and the martydom of many others, I expect the jihad in Kashmir will rise with strength. The scene will change completely."
Also to be closely scrutinised is the centre's dealing with the protests. Former J&K CM and Leader of Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad said the BJP's failure to learn from his and Omar Abdullah's experiences of dealing with street protests in Kashmir had taken the state back to the turbulent 90s. "One cannot look at the pictures that are being circulated on WhatsApp. There was one where a DIG was crushing the face of a young kid with his boots. Nobody is supporting militancy but shouldn't there be a distinction between militants and common man? How can the bullet that is being used for a militant be used on a six-year old, an old man and woman. Common men need the healing touch, militants need the gun," he said. He also slammed Pak saying, "Indian Muslims are capable of deciding their own fate, fighting for their rights in their own country. We do not need the support of Pakistan. Many years ago, we chose our country as they did theirs."
Azad attempted to trace the origins of the discord to the “mismatch” of the BJP-PDP alliance, a statement that was immediately rejected by Leader of the House Arun Jaitley who said that mathematically that was the only possible government in the state. Unrest in Kashmir, including the present one, stem from the fact that Pakistan never reconciled to its inclusion in India and having realised it could not win a conventional war, it took this route. “Thousands attacking a police post armed with stones changed the very paradigm of terror at a time when there was a global appetite against terror,” he said.
CPM’s Sitaram Yechury said the government’s blow-hot, blow-cold policy towards Pakistan has to stop but it also needs to feel the pain of Kashmiris. “Sometimes it is a 56-inch chest, sometimes there is an unscheduled stopover for biryani,” he said, referring to the Prime Minister’s sudden decision to have tea with Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif last year.
Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut said: “Chai pe charcha will not happen with Pakistan any more but it will happen with the people of Kashmir. But there cannot be Pakistani and IS flags in the Valley. If this august House mourns the likes of Burhan Wani, we send a very wrong message… we have to also laud the efforts of our jawans in the Valley and the intense pressure that they work under. Nobody in our country fires at women deliberately or hurts children.”
