Asem Mohiuddin
The past week was a gory memory in the history of Kashmir conflict. It witnessed bloodshed and turned out to be the replica of what Kashmir went through in the early days of 1990’s. Five civilians within a span of 24 hours fell to the bullets of gunmen; four among them belong to the minority community. To be more specific; two Kashmiri pandits, one Sikh woman and a non local Hindu and a local Muslim was shot dead by the gunmen.
Makhan Lal Bindroo, a renowned chemist was shot dead at his shop near Iqbal Park Srinagar on October 6. An hour later, yet another news travelled from Lal Bazar- downtown Srinagar regarding the killing of non local vendor by unknown gunmen. It didn’t stop here, the tensions further gripped north Kashmir after gunmen in a similar style gunned down another civilian, Mohammad Shafi Dar, a cab driver by profession in Hajin area.
The security forces were yet to ascertain the facts about the killings and identify the accused; the gunmen barged in a government school at Sangam, Srinagar on October 7 and targeted two more civilians from the minority community two days later. Deepak Chand, a Kashmiri Pandit and principal Supinder Kour were evacuated to SKIMS hospital and doctors declared them dead on arrival.
The killings shook the whole country in general and Kashmir in particular. The BJP led government in Delhi came under huge pressure for failing to provide security to minorities in Kashmir. Prior to 2019, when the Union government abrogated Article 370 and 35A, it had attributed the worsened security situation in Kashmir to the special privileges to an erstwhile state under the constitution. But after the abrogation of privileges and splitting the state into two Union territories, the killings didn’t stop and the security situation according to observers is worsening.
“It is the failure of the BJP government which has assured us security in Jammu and Kashmir. It is the ruling party and shall be held responsible for the killing of minorities in Kashmir,” said Channi Singh, Congress leader. Singh said that the government is discriminative in protecting the minorities in Kashmir and is adopting dual policy.
“When a Kashmiri Pandit is attacked, the government offers him security and they have freedom to leave Kashmir for Jammu. But when a woman from our community is killed, we have nowhere to go. We are working here, living here in this situation and the government can’t ignore our concerns,” he added.
In the backdrop of attacks on minorities, dozens of families have left the valley to Jammu and other safer places in India. Off late, the political parties and civil society groups in Kashmir woke up to the concern and assured support to the minority communities.
“This is our responsibility as a majority community to protect the minorities. We have to do whatever can be done in our capacity,” said Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, after visiting the family of Supinder Kour.
Omar said that he doesn’t want to see the repeat of the 1990 situation when minorities left the valley following the massive armed uprising against New Delhi.
The Manoj Sinha led administration assured all possible security for the minorities in Kashmir, however, was caught on the wrong foot when he issued an order and said that Pandits will be granted 10 holidays in the backdrop of the attack.
The issue was first criticized by Omar Abdullah and later by the Sikh community and termed it discriminatory in nature.
Later, the Sikh body Gurduwara Parbander Committee decided to not attend duties until the UT administration assures their men and women complete security.
“We would not resume jobs as long as we are not provided adequate security. We feel scared after a woman teacher from our community was killed at her school in Srinagar,” the committee said.
Meanwhile, the security agencies on the other side have intensified its counter insurgency operations across Jammu and Kashmir. Within a span of 36 hours five encounters from across the region were reported in which 5 militants and an equal number of army men were killed including a JCO. The police also claimed to have shot dead a militant in Natipora area of Srinagar on Saturday evening in a by-chance encounter while his accomplice managed to flee the spot.
It has also rounded up around 400 people across the Kashmir valley against whom FIRs are already lodged.
“We are suspecting their hands in the recent spree of killings. Majority of them have been some or the other way involved in anti national activities. But we are just investigating the case and ascertaining facts,” said one of the police officers, privy to the developments.
After the Union Home ministry called an emergency meeting last week over the worsening situation of Jammu and Kashmir, the local police are taking all their efforts to break the chain of network that resulted in the civilian killings.
“We need to break the chain of the network, if we have to ensure no such killings take place in future,” said one of the officers involved in counter insurgency operations.
The police said that it has already achieved a breakthrough after killing two militants who were responsible for the killing of Mohammad Shafi Dar of Hajin, Bandipora and an outside vendor shot dead at Lal Bazar on October 5.
On the directions of Union Home ministry, the elite counter insurgency department-Cargo also got its police chief after a gap of 5 months. Iftikar Talib has been appointed as its SP. The Print reports that MHA was surprised after hearing such a crucial department has been headless for over five months.
The police is also trying to infuse the sense of security among the minorities in Kashmir after the deadly attacks.
It has issued a statement and said that so far this year 28 civilians have been killed in which only 5 are from minorities.
But the fear and chaos is perpetual among minorities who have been living under intensified security apparatus now.
“We are under house arrest. After the killings took place, we were not allowed to move out. The forces in additional numbers are deployed at our entry gate and we are asked not to venture out,” said Ashvani, a Kashmiri pandit living in the migrant colony Budgam.
