Tear gas used on mourners in Indian Kashmir

Security forces in Indian Kashmir fired tear-gas to disperse mourners at a funeral procession.

SRINAGAR: Security forces in Indian Kashmir on Thursday fired tear-gas to disperse mourners at a funeral procession for one of the three latest victims of the protests.

Hopes of calm returning after weeks of angry anti-India protests were dashed following clashes on Wednesday evening and Thursday during which security forces killed three more civilians.

Police fired tear-gas and swung batons to disperse the crowds, injuring atleast six people, witnesses and doctors said. Overnight thousands had joined a funeral of another victim chanting pro-freedom slogans. The protests continued through-out the night.

On Thursday, a protester was killed and ten others injured when security forces opened fire at thousands of Muslims who had defied a curfew and were protesting against Indian rule in southern Pulwama town, a police officer said, asking not to be named. Doctors said the condition of two of the injured was critical.

Violent demonstrations erupted elsewhere in Kashmir despite an appeal for restraint from influential separatist politician Syed Ali Geelani. “Demonstrations should be peaceful,” Geelani said Wednesday. “Wherever you are stopped, sit down and tell them ‘now you can fire at us’, but don’t indulge in violence.”

But the latest shootings sparked further protests during which crowds attacked police and paramilitary posts. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a moderate Kashmiri leader, said he had written to the UN chief Ban Ki-moon saying India had “declared an open war in Kashmir.”

“The situation is getting worse and uglier by the day,” Farooq wrote, urging the UN to intervene.

LK Advani meets Indian PM to discuss Kashmir situation

Senior BJP leader LK Advani along with a delegation of party MLAs from Jammu and Kashmir met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the prevailing situation in the Valley, reported the Times of India.

The delegation demanded that the Centre should intervene to restore normalcy and expressed its opposition to the proposed political package for the state which was discussed between the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The MLAs and the Central leaders of the party also emphasized the need for keeping up the morale of the security forces, including the paramilitary. The party is opposed to cutting down the strength of the Army in the Valley and welcomed the deployment of 20,000 more troops in the state.

The Prime Minister promised to look into their demands and suggestions. The BJP has also asked the government to hold a discussion on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and has decided to field senior party leader MM Joshi to initiate the debate on behalf of the party. AFP/PTI

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2010.