There is an urgent need for Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir on account of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s inability to control the violence that broke out in Kishtwar district on Friday, after anti-India slogans were raised after the Eid namaz. So far, two persons have died in the rioting, and another 60 are injured.
Even otherwise, escalating incidents at the Line of Control as the United States tries to make a clean exit from Afghanistan, to facilitate which Pakistan is pushing jihadis across its eastern border, have increased the security risk for citizens.
The State Government’s response of cancelling the Amarnath Yatra in view of the riots is clear admission of its failure to tackle the law and order situation. This has resulted in at least 5000 pilgrims getting stranded between Kishtwar and Padar (Machel Mata mandir) due to the sudden imposition of curfew in Kishtwar town and adjoining areas on the evening of August 9.
They need to be rescued, and provided with humanitarian assistance while stranded. Firm governance is the only solution to the present collapse of administration in the State, before matters deteriorate further.
The resignation of the Minister of State for Home, Bashir Kitchloo, has failed to calm the people. Indeed, his role has come under a cloud as he was camping in the area for three days before the violence broke out; yet he failed to contain the riots. The perpetrators of the violence have not been arrested so far, and there are persistent rumours that Kitchloo gave strict instructions to the police not to use force against the rioters. Kitchloo is the MLA for Kishtwar.
The State Government’s sole response to the situation was to block Internet and SMS services to prevent news reaching the rest of the country. The fact that the leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, was not allowed to visit the riot-affected areas of Kishtwar on Sunday, August 11, has added to the misgivings of many in the State.
Locals allege that the Hurriyat and other anti-national forces are behind the Kishtwar riots, the aim of which was to achieve ‘ethnic cleansing’ of minorities from areas dominated by one community. That is why shops and business establishments belonging to the minority community were especial targets of mob violence, and were looted and torched as part of an organised mayhem. Sources claim that the riots were not spontaneous as projected by the administration, but an organised attack aimed at forcing communal migration, as happened in the Kashmir Valley in 1990.
It is claimed that miscreants also entered the home of members of the minority community and created a fear psychosis among them. Though the violence and arson ranged from Kuleed Chowk to the Bus Stand, covering the Main Market towards Shaheedi Chowk, Aman Market, Baniya Market and Purana Bazar, top police officers and administration officials were missing in action. This is despite the fact that they were all present in the town as the then Minister of State for Home, Sajjad Kitchloo, was camping in town at the time. Even the pro-separatist ‘The Kashmir Times’ has reported that at places where the police were present and fired in the air to disperse the mobs, their strength was inadequate to control the situation.
Jammu witnessed a complete bandh and shutdown on Sunday. Congress MLC Naresh Gupta demanded an inquiry into the role of Sajjad Kitchloo, whom he accused of masterminding the attack on the minority population: “All this happened in the presence of Kitchloo in Kishtwar. His role should be thoroughly probed. From where did the rioters get hold of guns and who provided arms to the mob? Why was curfew not imposed and implemented effectively in time to prevent loss of life and property?” He demanded a judicial probe by a high court judge; the State Government has ordered an inquiry by a retired judge who is yet to be named.
Gupta was seconded by the Bar Association in Jammu. Kitchloo runs a gun shop in Kishtwar and according to the Bar Association, it is alleged that his shop was either allowed to be looted or was thrown open for rioters before the situation took an ugly turn after the Eid prayers.
The State BJP extended its bandh for another two days, and demanded the suspension of the DIG (Doda range) and the Kishtwar SP, and registration of an FIR under Section 302 against the rioters.
Eye-witness accounts claim that the trouble began when some youths heading towards Eidgah Maidan started shouting anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans near Char Chinar Chowk. Waving Pakistani flags, they began attacking members of minority community, in a manner that was clearly pre-planned; they spread rapidly through Kishtwar town and attacked
the minority community, their business establishments, and homes.
Youth with firearms fired upon members of the minority community, who began to run shelter towards safer places as the forces deployed in the town watched as mute spectators. So frightened were the minorities that they took their injured to the Army camp rather than the nearby District Hospital which is located in an area dominated by the majority community. The critically injured were taken to the Military Hospital, Udhampur.
Despite a flag march by the Army in all the disturbed areas including Kishtwar town, the miscreants moved about freely, armed with guns, lathis and petrol bottles, and continued to torch shops in the outskirts with impunity.
If there is any merit in the suspicion that Jammu districts are being singled out for a fresh exodus of minorities, as happened in the Srinagar valley in 1990, imposition of Governor’s rule in an urgent imperative.
Niticentral.com, 13 August 2013
