Toll rises to 45; National Conference to skip all-party meet today

Jammu and Kashmir’s main Opposition party National Conference has announced to stay away from an all-party meeting chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has convened here on Thursday to discuss the volatile situation the Valley has been pushed by the killing of a popular militant commander.

As many as 45 people have been killed and over 2,200 injured in security forces’ firings and other actions as part of their tough campaign to contain the unrest triggered by the killing of militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani by security forces on July 8.

Meanwhile, Srinagar with some other towns of the Valley witnesses massive protests by curfew-defying crowds and pro-azadi slogans and rebellious songs were reverberated from the mosques’ loudspeakers with the nightfall on Wednesday. The residents also obeyed the “blackout” call issued by an alliance of separatist parties by switching off lights. The scene was reminiscent of early 1990 when people would seize evenings to vent their political feelings and frustration through similar outbursts.

At places, the police and CRPF were engaged by irate crowds of youth in ding-dong stone-pelting pitched battles along the streets and the former fired dozens of teargas canisters to push them in back alleys.

Earlier during the day, three persons were injured when allegedly thrashed by the soldiers from Army’s 55 Rashtriya Rifles at Batnoor Lassipora in southern Pulwama district.

They were part of a group of protesters which had blocked the road in the area, the police said. It said that stone-pelting incidents were reported also from Sopore in Baramulla, Koundbal and Alesting in Ganderbal, Sangam in Anantnag, Kaloosa in Bandipora and Reck Chowk (Batamallo) and Karan Nagar areas in Srinagar districts.

Even as curfews and other security restrictions have continues and the separatists have, at the same time, extended their shutdown call till Monday, the State government has in a controversial decision announced reopening of schools in the Valley’s Ganderbal, Bandipore, Budgam and Baramulla districts after modifying an earlier order under which the summer vacations in the schools and colleges had been extended to July 25 in view of the prevailing law and order situation. The Chief Minister has invited the leaders of all mainstream parties including ruling PDP-BJP combine and opposition National Conference, Congress, CPI(M), CPI, National Panthers Party, Democratic Party Nationalist and Peoples Democratic Front besides some others “to discuss the prevailing situation and the measures to be taken to restore peace and normalcy in the Valley” to all all-parties meet being held at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Srinagar’s Dal Lake on Thursday. But the NC has declined the invitation and said that it will not be possible for it to attend the meet in present circumstances wherein the government is grappling in the dark. It also said, “Until such time a credible, effective and humane leadership is re-established in the State this all party meeting will prove to be a meaningless exercise.” The NC general secretary and former minister, Ali Muhammad Sagar, has in a letter written to Abdur Rehman Veeri, minister for Public Works and Parliamentary Affairs, who had on behalf of the Chief Minister extended invitations for the meet on the phone said, “I regret that J&K NC is unable to participate under the circumstances. In the meanwhile, it has already submitted a detailed memorandum to the Governor wherein steps to ease the tension have been mentioned”. The letter says that it was extremely unfortunate that although the Chief Minister saw it fit to call a meeting of civil society in Srinagar within days of protests breaking out, it has taken her almost two weeks to call a meeting of all political parties. “In the meantime the number of dead and injured has continued to rise. It would have been better if the Chief Minister had responded to our party leadership’s offer of support earlier instead of waiting for the suffering and misery of the people to reach this level,” it said. The NC also said that statements from various top functionaries of the ruling coalition particularly the PDP have not only added to the confusion but have significantly weakened the institution and office of the Chief Minister. “Confusion about how much the Chief Minister knew regarding the Burhan (Wani) encounter is one such example. Similarly the assertion by one of the PDP MPs (Muzaffar Hussain Baig) crediting the Prime Minister with reducing excessive use of force further weakened the image of the Chief Minister who is seen as a mute spectator, immune to the bloodshed and the suffering,” the letter said. The letter added, “To make matters worse the same MP has repeatedly asserted the Burhan Wani was unlawfully killed by sections of J&K Police to discredit the Chief Minister. This leads one to conclude that Ms. Mufti does not even command the loyalty of her police force, much less the loyalty of the people”. The NC also spoke about “total mishandling of the press (gag) issue “by first enforcing a ban and raiding offices of newspapers, seizing plates and newspapers, the action which was justified by the senior minister and spokesperson of the government (Naeem Akhter) and contradicted more than 72 hours later by the Advisor to the Chief Minister (Amitabh Mattoo) leads us to conclude that there is no effective leadership in the State government at present”. While concluding, Mr. Sagar asserted that his party “has always played a positive role in maintaining peace and harmony in the state and we will continue to do so regardless”. Earlier during the day on Wednesday, former Chief Minister and NC working president Omar Abdullah met Governor, N.N. Vohra, at the Raj Bhavan here to convey his own and his party’s concerns over the prevailing situation in the Valley. He discussed with the Governor particularly “issues relating to internal security management, role of the media and other matters,” a Raj Bhavan spokesman said adding that the Governor urged Mr. Abdullah to contribute towards the very early restoration of peace and normalcy in the Valley. In a related development, BJP national general secretary, Ram Madhav, arrived here on Wednesday for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. He is scheduled to hold an one-on-one meeting with the Chief Minister and will separately meet his party ministers and other leaders to know their views on the prevailing situation, the sources in the BJP said.