Kashmir out on streets

Srinagar: As Kashmir took a break from mass protests over the Amarnath shrine land row today, streets remained empty and shops half shut in anticipation of another march: this time to the office of the United Nation’s Military Observers’ Group based in Srinagar.

A worried government dispatched Srinagar Deputy Commissioner Kachu Asfandyar Khan and Senior Superintendent of Police Syed Ahfad-ul-Mujtaba to visit top Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to convince them to cancel the public march to the UN office tomorrow and rather go for a token march.

Government in a fix

The separatists did not agree, though they did change the course. Now the procession will gather at the neighbouring Tourist Reception Centre grounds where the leadership will address the people.

There is, however, no word on whether there will be a subsequent march to the UN office or not.

The government is in a fix about how to handle this separatist groundswell across Kashmir. “It is a Catch-22 situation: whether to allow a mammoth procession in Srinagar city or try to halt it,” said a senior police officer.

“A free run for the protestors to converge at the UN office on a narrow road strip in Srinagar city, adjoining the sensitive Gupkar road which houses top mainstream politicians, offices of security agencies and top police and civil administration officers, has a serious security dimension,” he said.

“But if we halt the procession, it will mean more killings and then another cycle of protest.

The government has another worry too: a mammoth procession shouting separatist slogans in Srinagar city will reinforce that azadi is the new demand in Kashmir. The protests have already transcended the Amarnath land transfer row and now it is demand for azadi that can be heard on the streets — a return to 1990 — though without the guns.

Mainstream parties take tough stand

The massive public outrage has also forced mainstream political parties to revise their stands. National Conference leader and MP Omar Abdullah said today that he “will resign if this current situation continues and the unjustified use of force on unarmed protestors continues”.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), meanwhile, passed a resolution expressing “distress over the excessive use of force against the protestors” and said “the killing of unarmed civilians and ransacking of properties could not be justified.”

The party pointed out that almost similar circumstances had led to eruption of the turmoil in 1990 and emphasised that the public outrage over so many killings and the brutal use of force was justified.

“The government of India must, without any further delay, reach out and engage all sections of the society, including the leaders of the Hurriyat Conference, in a productive dialogue to resolve the issues,” the resolution, which was adopted by top party leadership including former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said.

“The government must, with political courage, revive the peace initiative launched by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vapayee and carried forward by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which had worked well till 2005.”

Omar called the crisis the outcome of the Centre’s delaying tactics on confronting real issues.

“We have been screaming that this problem does not have a military or economic solution. It is primarily political,” he said.

“They (the Centre) thought that militancy had gone down and tourism returned and thus everything was fine. We had been insisting that the policy of status quo will explode Kashmir again and it has happened. They don’t learn any lessons.”

He added that the demands of the Hurriyat were not new. “These (demands) were discussed in working groups framed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and there was an agreement to implement them. Why wait?” he said.

Many promises, none realised

Omar lamented that two prime ministers had made promises in the past but never implemented them. “Both Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and Vajpayee made promises.

The prime minister said sky is the limit but nothing happened. Then Vajpayee said that his government would not repeat previous mistakes and a solution would be found within the ambit of humanity. Again nothing concrete happened, Omar said.

Taking a strong exception to claims that New Delhi had been investing a huge amount of money and resources in Kashmir, Omar said: “If they (the national leadership) see the relationship between Kashmir and New Delhi through money and funds alone, then how will they explain the relationship between India and Bhutan, which is not even a part of our country?”

He said the Northeast too gets per capita central assistance equal if not more than Kashmir. “Why Kashmir then?” he asked.

The CPI(M) has also expressed sympathy with the people who are protesting. “The Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road must be opened for trade,” said former legislator and party leader Khalil Mohammad Naik. “We need to sit together and find a solution to the Kashmir problem. There is no other way.”

Thousands out on the street

BBC reporting from Srinagar says thousands of people have gathered at a ground in Srinagar. A large crowd of slogan-shouting protesters has also gathered outside the UN office.

Security across the city is tight and police barricades have been put up everywhere to regulate crowds.

Correspondents say that by marching to the UN office and presenting a memorandum of their demands, the separatist leaders are trying to internationalise the latest crisis in Kashmir.

Much of the Kashmir valley remained paralysed last week by a shutdown called by the separatist groups. Police in Srinagar say the curfew has been lifted in several districts, but local people say this is not true.

People hoisted black flags in many parts of Srinagar on India's independence day last Friday.

More than 21 people died last week in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley during police firing on protesters.

The unrest began two months ago when a small piece of land was awarded to a trust running a Hindu shrine. This provoked Muslim anger. The government then rescinded its decision, triggering furious counter-protests from Hindus in Jammu.

After years of relative calm, the demonstrations in the valley are the biggest in a decade, analysts say.