2010 Kashmir unrest
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Kashmir unrest was a series of protests in the Muslim majority Kashmir Valley in Indian Administered Kashmir
which started in June 2010. These protests occurred in response to a civil disobedience
movement launched by Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani
and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Indian Administered Kashmir
in June 2010, who called for the complete demilitarization of Jammu and Kashmir. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference
made this call to protest, citing human rights
abuses by Indian troops. Protesters shouting pro-independence slogans, defied curfew, attacked security forces with stones and burnt police vehicles and government buildings. The protests started out as anti India protests but later were also targeted against the United States
following the 2010 Qur'an-burning controversy
. The Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Para-military forces fired live ammunition on the protesters, resulting in 112 deaths, including many teenagers. The protests subsided after the Indian government announced a package of measures aimed at defusing the tensions in September 2010. In spite of pressure from Hurriyat conference to not accept any compensation from Indian government nearly all of the families of the dead accepted the money offered by the Government of India.
claimed to have foiled an infiltration bid from across the Line of Control
, at Machil Sector in Kupwara
district of Jammu and Kashmir by killing three armed militants from Pakistan
. However, it was subsequently established that the encounter had been staged and that the three alleged militants were in fact civilians of Rafiabad area, who had been lured to the army camp by promising them jobs as “porters” for the Army, and then shot in cold blood, in order to claim a cash award.
On June 11, there were protests against these killings in the downtown area of Srinagar. Police used massive force to disperse the protesting youth during which a teargas bullet killed a seventeen year old Tufail Ahmad Mattoo who was playing cricket in Gani memorial Stadium. Several protest marches were organized across the Valley in response to the killings which were met with indiscriminate firing by the security forces deployed in the region. Thereafter a vicious circle was set, killing of a boy was followed by protest demonstrations and clashes with police and CRPF in which another boy was killed which led to anther protest by the boys till several youth lost their lives.
However, Indian intelligence agencies claimed that these protests and demonstrations were part of covert operations of Pakistani intelligence agencies and were sponsored and supported from them. Media reports earlier in march had suggested that with the support of its intelligence agencies Pakistan has been once again 'boosting' Kashmir militants and recruitment of 'martyrs' in Pakistani state of Punjab
. It was reported that in a meeting held in Muzaffarabad
in mid January 2010 which was chaired by former Inter-Services Intelligence
chief Hamid Gul, United Jihad Council
called for reinvigorated jihad
until Kashmir was free of "Indian occupation". In May 2010 increased activities of militants was reported from across the border in Neelum valley in Pakistan-administered Kashmir
. The locals reported that large numbers of militants had set up camps in the area with plans of crossing into the Kashmir valley, and they did not appear to be Kashmiri.
in response to the militancy in the state which started in 1989. Protesters demanded that the number of troops in the state of Jammu and Kashmir be reduced. In addition many protesters shouted pro independence slogans demanding Indian forces 'Quit Kashmir'.
of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India, signed by the Maharaja Hari Singh
(erstwhile ruler of the State) on 26 October 1947, was completely valid in terms of the Government of India Act (1935), Indian Independence Act (1947) and international law and was total and irrevocable. The Constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir
had unanimously ratified the Maharaja's Instrument of Accession to India and had adopted a constitution for the state that called for a perpetual merger of the state with the Union of India. India claims that this body was a representative one, and that its views were those of the Kashmiri people at the time. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1172
tacitly accepts India's stand regarding all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan and urges the need to resolve the dispute through mutual dialogue and does not call for a plebiscite. United Nations Security Council Resolution 47
cannot be implemented since Pakistan failed to withdraw its forces from Kashmir which was the first step in implementing the resolution. Now the resolution is obsolete since the geography and demographics of the region have been permanently altered. The resolution was passed by United Nations Security Council
under Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter
. Resolutions passed under Chapter VI of UN charter are considered non binding and have no mandatory enforceability as opposed to the resolutions passed under Chapter VII.
in which another person was killed which led to another protest till more lost their lives and hundreds of security personnel were injured. Local residents maintained the protest was peaceful and clashes only erupted after the shooting.
To prevent the protests Indian authorities imposed curfew in Srinagar and other towns in the valley. In August, the government responded by imposing curfews in the disturbed areas and by deploying Rapid Action Force (RAF) in the Srinagar valley to control demonstrations. Protesters, however, defied curfew and also pelted stones on the police and paramilitary personnel. Some people even pelted stones on a police post at Pothkhak in Sopore.
commemorating the September 11 attacks quickly turned into separatist protests against the Indian government in the Muslim-majority province. On September 13, Muslim protesters defied a curfew, setting fire to a Christian missionary school and government buildings. At least 13 people were shot dead by police, and one policeman was killed by a thrown rock; at least 113 policemen and 45 protesters were wounded. On September 12, a church was burned and a curfew instituted in Punjab. Violence spread into Poonch
in the Jammu
division, with three protesters shot by police. Protesters burned government buildings and vehicles including the SDM's office, where a gas cylinder exploded inflicting injuries on six persons; the SDPO office; the Forest Department office; the BDO office and two police and five civilian vehicles. Police prevented the burning of a Christian school in Poonch, and another in Mendhar the next day, in clashes leaving four protesters killed, 19 wounded, but dozens of government offices, a police station, and eight vehicles were burned. As of September 16, the Hindustan Times
placed the death toll at 90, blaming much of the resentment on the indefinite military curfew, the first in ten years to affect the entire Kashmir Valley, calling the curfew "collective punishment" and writing that after four days, "People are running out of milk, vegetables and baby food. " On September 18, after six days, the curfew was relaxed in parts of Srinagar
and some other areas for four hours to allow people to buy essentials.
On the night of September 17, a policeman's house was set on fire in Pinjoora village. On September 18, a large procession in Anantnag
defied curfew, carrying the body of Maroof Ahmad Nath, who drowned while fleeing police. After "agitating mobs attempted to torch government property", security forces opened fire, killing Noorul Amin Dagga and injuring five. Fayaz Ahmad Naiku of Boatman Colony (Bemina), Srinigar died from injuries received the preceding day. A group stoning and attempting to burn the home of Samajwadi Party
leader Fayaz Ahmad Bhat were dispersed by gunfire. A group of men emerging from a mosque were fired on with one killed and four injured in Pattan area. A police spokesman disputed claims that the attack was unprovoked, because a mob tried to block the Srinagar-Baramulla
National Highway and started heavy stone pelting on security forces.
called on Indian security forces not to use gunfire against demonstrators. Prime minister of India Manmohan Singh
expressing concern over the deaths asked for revisiting operating procedures and "non-lethal, yet effective and more focussed" crowd control measures to deal with the protesters.
and asked that there be no dilution of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
(AFSPA). Their leader Ramesh Manvati belonging to Panun Kashmir
said "The security forces must be provided the constitutional protection as they are playing crucial role in preservation of the country's sovereignty." the Kashmiri Pandits also staged a dharna
in Jammu
stating that no solution of the problem was possible without including them in the dialogue.
Indian Home minister
P. Chidambaram
hinted at Pakistan's involvement in the unrest saying that "It is possible that they believe that relying upon civilian unrest will pay them better dividends. But I am confident if we are able to win the hearts and minds of the people ... those designs can be foiled."
Condemning the protests Farooq Abdullah
president of the largest political party in Kashmir Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
stated that Kashmir has been and will always remain a part of India. He however demanded withdrawal of AFSPA. Chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir Omar Abdullah
has also called for withdrawal of AFSPA. However the leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party
opposed the withdrawal of AFSPA and the party spokesman said that BJP saw the hand of Inter-Services Intelligence
behind the protests.
Yasin Malik
leader of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
criticized Pakistani militants of subverting the indigenous movement.
proposed an all-party meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that dialogue was the only way to find lasting peace, and "We are ready for dialogue with anybody or any group that does not espouse or practice violence". Written invitations included Kashmiri separatists Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik
, who had been excluded from a previous all-party meeting in 2008 during the Amarnath land transfer controversy
. Members of the 39-member delegation include Home Minister P Chidambaram and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal
, Sushma Swaraj
and Arun Jaitley
(BJP), Basudeb Acharia (CPM), Gurudas Dasgupta
(CPI), Mulayam Singh Yadav
(Samajwadi Party
) and Ram Vilas Paswan
(Lok Janshakti Party
).
The delegation subsequently visited Kashmir. Following this visit Indian government announced several measures to defuse the tensions. The measures included release of all the students arrested during the protests, reopening of schools, discussions on reducing the number of security forces in Kashmir and appointment of a group to begin sustained dialogue with the Kashmiris. In addition financial compensation of $ 11,000 to the families of each of those killed was announced. All but one of the 110 families accepted the compensation in spite of calls by the Hurriyat Conference and social pressure on families to reject the money from Government of India.
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
which started in June 2010. These protests occurred in response to a civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
movement launched by Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani
Syed Ali Shah Geelani
-Early life:Syed Geelani was born in a town called Zoorimunz, Bandipora, in North Kashmir. After his preliminary education in Sopore, he went on to graduate from the Oriental College in Lahore....
and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Indian Administered Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
in June 2010, who called for the complete demilitarization of Jammu and Kashmir. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference
All Parties Hurriyat Conference
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference is a political front formed as an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organizations in Kashmir. It was formed achieving the right of self-determination according to United Nations Security Council Resolution 47...
made this call to protest, citing human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
abuses by Indian troops. Protesters shouting pro-independence slogans, defied curfew, attacked security forces with stones and burnt police vehicles and government buildings. The protests started out as anti India protests but later were also targeted against the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
following the 2010 Qur'an-burning controversy
2010 Qur'an-burning controversy
The Dove World Quran-burning controversy arose in July 2010, when Terry Jones, the pastor of the Christian Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, U.S., declared he would burn 200 Qurans on the 2010 anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Media coverage resulted in international...
. The Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Para-military forces fired live ammunition on the protesters, resulting in 112 deaths, including many teenagers. The protests subsided after the Indian government announced a package of measures aimed at defusing the tensions in September 2010. In spite of pressure from Hurriyat conference to not accept any compensation from Indian government nearly all of the families of the dead accepted the money offered by the Government of India.
Background
On April 30, 2010, the Indian ArmyIndian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
claimed to have foiled an infiltration bid from across the Line of Control
Line of Control
The term Line of Control refers to the military control line between the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which, to this day, does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary but is the de facto border...
, at Machil Sector in Kupwara
Kupwara
Kupwara is a town and a notified area committee in Kupwara District in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.Among the many tourist places in Kupwara, Lolab Valley has special significance. Sogam is a Tehsil and a really beautiful place to visit for its meadows, mountains, gushing waters, and...
district of Jammu and Kashmir by killing three armed militants from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. However, it was subsequently established that the encounter had been staged and that the three alleged militants were in fact civilians of Rafiabad area, who had been lured to the army camp by promising them jobs as “porters” for the Army, and then shot in cold blood, in order to claim a cash award.
On June 11, there were protests against these killings in the downtown area of Srinagar. Police used massive force to disperse the protesting youth during which a teargas bullet killed a seventeen year old Tufail Ahmad Mattoo who was playing cricket in Gani memorial Stadium. Several protest marches were organized across the Valley in response to the killings which were met with indiscriminate firing by the security forces deployed in the region. Thereafter a vicious circle was set, killing of a boy was followed by protest demonstrations and clashes with police and CRPF in which another boy was killed which led to anther protest by the boys till several youth lost their lives.
However, Indian intelligence agencies claimed that these protests and demonstrations were part of covert operations of Pakistani intelligence agencies and were sponsored and supported from them. Media reports earlier in march had suggested that with the support of its intelligence agencies Pakistan has been once again 'boosting' Kashmir militants and recruitment of 'martyrs' in Pakistani state of Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
. It was reported that in a meeting held in Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers...
in mid January 2010 which was chaired by former Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
chief Hamid Gul, United Jihad Council
United Jihad Council
Also known as the Muttahida Jihad Council , this Jehadi fighters group was formed in the summer of 1994 by the amalgamation of several Islamic Armed terrorist organizations. It is currently headed by Syed Salahuddin, the leader of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, the largest Jihad group operating in the Indian...
called for reinvigorated jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
until Kashmir was free of "Indian occupation". In May 2010 increased activities of militants was reported from across the border in Neelum valley in Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Azad Kashmir borders the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north west, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China to the north and the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir, to the east.A...
. The locals reported that large numbers of militants had set up camps in the area with plans of crossing into the Kashmir valley, and they did not appear to be Kashmiri.
Demands of protesters
There are about 700,000 Indian troops and paramilitaries in Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
in response to the militancy in the state which started in 1989. Protesters demanded that the number of troops in the state of Jammu and Kashmir be reduced. In addition many protesters shouted pro independence slogans demanding Indian forces 'Quit Kashmir'.
Indian Government's position
Indian government considers Kashmir an integral part of India. Indian viewpoint is succinctly summarized by Ministry of External affairs, Government of India India holds that the Instrument of AccessionInstrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir)
The Instrument of Accession is a legal document executed by Maharajah Hari Singh, ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, on 26 October 1947...
of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India, signed by the Maharaja Hari Singh
Hari Singh
Maharaja Hari Singh was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.He was married four times...
(erstwhile ruler of the State) on 26 October 1947, was completely valid in terms of the Government of India Act (1935), Indian Independence Act (1947) and international law and was total and irrevocable. The Constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir
Constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir
Constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir was a body of representatives elected in 1951 to write the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.-Background:...
had unanimously ratified the Maharaja's Instrument of Accession to India and had adopted a constitution for the state that called for a perpetual merger of the state with the Union of India. India claims that this body was a representative one, and that its views were those of the Kashmiri people at the time. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1172
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1172
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1172, adopted unanimously on June 6, 1998, after hearing of nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in May 1998, the Council condemned the tests and demanded that both countries refrain from engaging in further tests.-Resolution:The Security Council...
tacitly accepts India's stand regarding all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan and urges the need to resolve the dispute through mutual dialogue and does not call for a plebiscite. United Nations Security Council Resolution 47
United Nations Security Council Resolution 47
United Nations Security Council Resolution 47, adopted on April 21, 1948, after hearing arguments from both India and Pakistan the Council increased the size of the Commission established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 39 to five members, instructed the Commission to go to the...
cannot be implemented since Pakistan failed to withdraw its forces from Kashmir which was the first step in implementing the resolution. Now the resolution is obsolete since the geography and demographics of the region have been permanently altered. The resolution was passed by United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
under Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter deals with peaceful settlement of disputes. It requires countries with disputes that could lead to war to first of all try to seek solutions through peaceful methods such as negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement,...
. Resolutions passed under Chapter VI of UN charter are considered non binding and have no mandatory enforceability as opposed to the resolutions passed under Chapter VII.
Protest and violence
On June 11, Tufail Ahmad Mattoo a 17 year old student died after being hit in the head by a tear gas shell. He was called a martyr immediately and buried in the Martyrs graveyard against his families wishes. His death proved to be a catalyst and subsequently stone throwing mobs confronted the police almost daily. A vicious circle was set, killing of a person was followed by protest demonstrations and clashes with police and Central Reserve Police ForceCentral Reserve Police Force
The Central Reserve Police Force also known as CRPF is the largest of India's Central Armed Police Forces. It functions under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain...
in which another person was killed which led to another protest till more lost their lives and hundreds of security personnel were injured. Local residents maintained the protest was peaceful and clashes only erupted after the shooting.
Stone Pelting
The unruly mob pelted stones at the security force and destroyed public property in response to the security forces used live ammunition in some cases resulting in death of some of the protesters. The protesters were accused by the government of using a stone pelting as a violent mean of creating chaos. Security forces cited stone pelting as a reason for their firing in retaliation as many security force member were hurt by this act.To prevent the protests Indian authorities imposed curfew in Srinagar and other towns in the valley. In August, the government responded by imposing curfews in the disturbed areas and by deploying Rapid Action Force (RAF) in the Srinagar valley to control demonstrations. Protesters, however, defied curfew and also pelted stones on the police and paramilitary personnel. Some people even pelted stones on a police post at Pothkhak in Sopore.
September protests
Protests in Kashmir escalated over several days, as demonstrations against public burning of the Koran as a protest in the United States2010 Qur'an-burning controversy
The Dove World Quran-burning controversy arose in July 2010, when Terry Jones, the pastor of the Christian Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, U.S., declared he would burn 200 Qurans on the 2010 anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Media coverage resulted in international...
commemorating the September 11 attacks quickly turned into separatist protests against the Indian government in the Muslim-majority province. On September 13, Muslim protesters defied a curfew, setting fire to a Christian missionary school and government buildings. At least 13 people were shot dead by police, and one policeman was killed by a thrown rock; at least 113 policemen and 45 protesters were wounded. On September 12, a church was burned and a curfew instituted in Punjab. Violence spread into Poonch
Poonch
Poonch is a town and a municipal committee in Poonch District in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Based on the Mahābhārata evidence, and the evidence from 7th Chinese traveler Xuanzang, the districts of Poonch along with Rajauri and Abhisara had been under the sway of the Republican Kambojas...
in the Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
division, with three protesters shot by police. Protesters burned government buildings and vehicles including the SDM's office, where a gas cylinder exploded inflicting injuries on six persons; the SDPO office; the Forest Department office; the BDO office and two police and five civilian vehicles. Police prevented the burning of a Christian school in Poonch, and another in Mendhar the next day, in clashes leaving four protesters killed, 19 wounded, but dozens of government offices, a police station, and eight vehicles were burned. As of September 16, the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
placed the death toll at 90, blaming much of the resentment on the indefinite military curfew, the first in ten years to affect the entire Kashmir Valley, calling the curfew "collective punishment" and writing that after four days, "People are running out of milk, vegetables and baby food. " On September 18, after six days, the curfew was relaxed in parts of Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
and some other areas for four hours to allow people to buy essentials.
On the night of September 17, a policeman's house was set on fire in Pinjoora village. On September 18, a large procession in Anantnag
Anantnag
Anantnag , a city and a municipality in Anantnag district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India. Anantnag is regarded as the commercial and financial capital of the valley of Kashmir...
defied curfew, carrying the body of Maroof Ahmad Nath, who drowned while fleeing police. After "agitating mobs attempted to torch government property", security forces opened fire, killing Noorul Amin Dagga and injuring five. Fayaz Ahmad Naiku of Boatman Colony (Bemina), Srinigar died from injuries received the preceding day. A group stoning and attempting to burn the home of Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party is a political party in India. It is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It describes itself as a democratic socialist party...
leader Fayaz Ahmad Bhat were dispersed by gunfire. A group of men emerging from a mosque were fired on with one killed and four injured in Pattan area. A police spokesman disputed claims that the attack was unprovoked, because a mob tried to block the Srinagar-Baramulla
Baramulla
Baramulla , known as Varahamula in antiquity, is a city in the Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir state in northern India...
National Highway and started heavy stone pelting on security forces.
Criticism of security forces
Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
called on Indian security forces not to use gunfire against demonstrators. Prime minister of India Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
expressing concern over the deaths asked for revisiting operating procedures and "non-lethal, yet effective and more focussed" crowd control measures to deal with the protesters.
Criticism of the protests
In response to the unrest in Kashmir, Kashmiri Pandits met with Indian finance minister Pranab MukherjeePranab Mukherjee
Pranab Kumar Mukherjee is the current Finance Minister of India and leader of the current Lok Sabha.Mukherjee is a senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Affairs, Prices, Security, Unique Identification Authority of India,...
and asked that there be no dilution of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
The Armed Forces Act , was passed on September 11, 1958, by the Parliament of India. It conferred special powers upon armed forces in what the act calls "disturbed areas" in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura...
(AFSPA). Their leader Ramesh Manvati belonging to Panun Kashmir
Panun Kashmir
Panun Kashmir is an organisation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits founded in December 1990 in Jammu, in order to demand that a separate homeland for Kashmir's Hindu population be carved out of the overwhelmingly Muslim Valley of Kashmir...
said "The security forces must be provided the constitutional protection as they are playing crucial role in preservation of the country's sovereignty." the Kashmiri Pandits also staged a dharna
Dharna
A dharna , is a fast undertaken at the door of an offender, especially a debtor, in India as a means of obtaining compliance with a demand for justice, such as payment of a debt....
in Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
stating that no solution of the problem was possible without including them in the dialogue.
Indian Home minister
Minister for Home Affairs (India)
The Home Minister, or more properly the Minister for Home Affairs, is a position in the Indian Cabinet, at both State and Union levels. The Home Ministry is one of the most important, powerful and high profile ministry after the Prime Minister...
P. Chidambaram
P. Chidambaram
P. Chidambaram or Chidambaram Palaniappan, sometimes written Palaniappan Chidambaram is an Indian politician with the Indian National Congress and present Union Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of India. Previously he was the Finance Minister of India from May 2004 to November 2008...
hinted at Pakistan's involvement in the unrest saying that "It is possible that they believe that relying upon civilian unrest will pay them better dividends. But I am confident if we are able to win the hearts and minds of the people ... those designs can be foiled."
Condemning the protests Farooq Abdullah
Farooq Abdullah
Farooq Abdullah , born 21 October 1937 in Soura, Jammu & Kashmir, India), is the son of Sheikh Abdullah, is a doctor of medicine and has served as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on several occasions since 1982. He is married to Molly, a nurse of British origin...
president of the largest political party in Kashmir Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference is a State political party in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Led at the time of Indian Independence in 1947 by Sheikh Abdullah, it dominated electoral politics in the state for many decades...
stated that Kashmir has been and will always remain a part of India. He however demanded withdrawal of AFSPA. Chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir Omar Abdullah
Omar Abdullah
Omar Abdullah , born 10 March 1970 in United Kingdom, is an Indian Kashmiri politician and the scion of Kashmir's 'first family', the Abdullah family who became the 11th and the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after forming a government in coalition with the Congress party, on...
has also called for withdrawal of AFSPA. However the leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
opposed the withdrawal of AFSPA and the party spokesman said that BJP saw the hand of Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
behind the protests.
Yasin Malik
Yasin Malik
Yasin Malik is the chairman of one of the two factions of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, the chairman for other faction is Farooq Siddiqi . The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front , founded by Amanullah Khan and Maqbool Bhat, is a Kashmiri nationalist organization founded in Birmingham, UK on May 29,...
leader of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front , founded by Amanullah Khan and Maqbool Bhat, is a Kashmiri nationalist organization founded in Birmingham, UK on May 29, 1977. From then until 1994 it was an active terrorist organization with branches in several cities and towns of the UK, and in several other...
criticized Pakistani militants of subverting the indigenous movement.
Response of Indian Government
On September 15, Prime Minister Manmohan SinghManmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
proposed an all-party meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that dialogue was the only way to find lasting peace, and "We are ready for dialogue with anybody or any group that does not espouse or practice violence". Written invitations included Kashmiri separatists Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik
Yasin Malik
Yasin Malik is the chairman of one of the two factions of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, the chairman for other faction is Farooq Siddiqi . The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front , founded by Amanullah Khan and Maqbool Bhat, is a Kashmiri nationalist organization founded in Birmingham, UK on May 29,...
, who had been excluded from a previous all-party meeting in 2008 during the Amarnath land transfer controversy
Amarnath land transfer controversy
On 26 May 2008, the government of India and state government of Jammu and Kashmir reached an agreement to transfer of forest land to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board in the main Kashmir valley to set up temporary shelters and facilities for Hindu pilgrims...
. Members of the 39-member delegation include Home Minister P Chidambaram and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal
Pawan Kumar Bansal
Pawan Kumar Bansal is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India.He is currently the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. He was also Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs in the First Manmohan Singh Cabinet...
, Sushma Swaraj
Sushma Swaraj
Sushma Swaraj is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Member of Parliament. She is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha. She is a former union cabinet minister of India and a former Chief Minister of Delhi. Also she served as the Chairperson of the BJP's...
and Arun Jaitley
Arun Jaitley
Arun Jaitley is a prominent Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party , which is currently the largest Opposition party in India...
(BJP), Basudeb Acharia (CPM), Gurudas Dasgupta
Gurudas Dasgupta
Gurudas Dasgupta is an Indian politician and a leader of the Communist Party of India. He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1985. He was elected the General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress in 2001. In 2004, He was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from Panskura in West Bengal...
(CPI), Mulayam Singh Yadav
Mulayam Singh Yadav
Mulayam Singh Yadav in Hindi मुलायम सिंह यादव is an Indian politician and has influence mainly in Uttar Pradesh state of India...
(Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party is a political party in India. It is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It describes itself as a democratic socialist party...
) and Ram Vilas Paswan
Ram Vilas Paswan
Ram Vilas Paswan is the president of the Lok Janshakti Party and a Rajya Sabha MP.-Early life and education:Paswan was born to a Dusadh family...
(Lok Janshakti Party
Lok Janshakti Party
The Lok Jan Shakti Party is a state political party in the state Bihar , India. It is led by Ram Vilas Paswan. The party was formed in 2000 when Paswan split from Janata Dal . The party has considerable following amongst Dalits in Bihar. The 2004 Lok Sabha elections marked a major break-through for...
).
The delegation subsequently visited Kashmir. Following this visit Indian government announced several measures to defuse the tensions. The measures included release of all the students arrested during the protests, reopening of schools, discussions on reducing the number of security forces in Kashmir and appointment of a group to begin sustained dialogue with the Kashmiris. In addition financial compensation of $ 11,000 to the families of each of those killed was announced. All but one of the 110 families accepted the compensation in spite of calls by the Hurriyat Conference and social pressure on families to reject the money from Government of India.
External links
- Video:Kashmir unrest prompts new curfew, ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...