A war-like situation heightens the uncertainty in Kashmir.
THREE MONTHS HAVE PASSED SINCE KASHMIR slipped into an unprecedented phase of turmoil following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. Not much has changed. The sufferings of the people have come first in the form of curfew, the longest-ever Kashmir has witnessed since 1990, and now in the form of continued strikes called or protest calendars issued by the joint platform of separatists led by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik. The cost has been heavy: 90 deaths at the hands of the police and paramilitary forces, injuries to 11,000 people and, above all, pellet injuries that have left scores of young boys and girls blind.
So far, the government’s response has only been harsh curfews, and bullets and pellets. The government sees it as a law and order problem that is to be dealt with a “tire-out” strategy as was done during the political un-rests in 2008 and 2010. However, by all accounts, those protests were mild compared with the current phase of unrest, which shows little sign of a let-up.
Kashmir today faces what can be termed a humanitarian crisis. With businesses shut, educational institutions closed and hospitals full of injured, the Valley is as good as dead. There is hardly any dialogue within and outside, as the governments—both in New Delhi and in Srinagar—and the separatists have locked horns with each other. In the meanwhile, there seemed to be some engagement when an all-party delegation visited Srinagar and Jammu on September 4 and 5. It left the door ajar for hope. But that also fizzled out.
Denne historien er fra October 28, 2016-utgaven av FRONTLINE.
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