* Terrorism on decline in Valley
NEW DELHI, July 21:
Amid strong criticism of the use of pellet guns for mob control in Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today announced that the Government will look at other non-lethal alternatives as “we all feel sad” over the loss of lives and injuries in the Valley.
Replying to a debate on the Kashmir unrest in Lok Sabha where many members expressed concern over the injuries caused by pellet guns, he said an expert committee will be set up to recommend alternatives to pellet guns and it will submit its report in two months.
Describing the youth of Kashmir as “patriots”, he said in “there is an attempt to misguide some” of them and a “mindset that stokes baseless anger against India”.
Singh said Pakistan played a “key role” in fuelling tension and that the situation was “normalising” gradually.
He also reached out to other political parties, saying the Government alone cannot solve problems in Kashmir and all parties would have to work together.
“We all feel sad over the lives lost and those injured,” Singh said but added that “barbarism” can have no place in the society, citing incidents where some people had celebrated when some security personnel were killed.
Referring to concerns expressed by members over the use of pellet guns, the Home Minister said one person had died due to injuries caused by these weapons, while 53 suffered injuries in eyes.
“We will form a committee of experts. It will see to it what non-lethal alternatives we can bring in place of pellet guns. It will give report in two months,” he said.
He said these guns, categorised as non-lethal, had not been used in Kashmir for the first time as they had been used earlier in 2010 when six people had been killed by these and 98 had sustained eye injuries, with five suffering complete blindness.
Singh rejected criticism that security forces used pellet guns indiscriminately but at the same time said it cannot be denied that someone might have committed some mistakes.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed security forces to maintain “maximum restraint”.
“The youth of Kashmir are also patriots. There is an attempt to misguide some… There is a mindset that stokes baseless anger against India,” he said, adding that same “distorted mindset” can be seen in parts of Chhattisgarh, in a reference to Maoist violence there.
He described Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, whose killing in an encounter sparked the recent protests, as a “tech-savvy terrorist of new generation” who had exploited social media platforms to lure youths into picking up the gun.
Responding to opposition criticism that the Prime Minister was “beating drums” in Africa when Kashmir was burning, Singh said Modi was in touch with him during the tour also, enquiring about the situation and giving suggestions.
“I felt he (Modi) was in pain and worried. The first meeting he called after his return to India was to discuss Kashmir,” the Home Minister said.
Pakistan played a “key role” in fomenting the recent trouble in Kashmir and it was sponsoring terrorism in India, Rajnath said.
Observing that the situation in the Valley was “normalising” gradually, he singled out Pakistan for fomenting trouble there, saying it had played a “key role” in fuelling tension and that terrorism in India was sponsored by it.
Referring to the ‘black day’ observed by Pakistan on the killing of a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Kashmir, he said it has no right to interfere in India’s internal matters, but it was doing so to deflect attention from its failures as the people there were fighting along sectarian lines.
“If there is terrorism in India, then it is Pakistan sponsored,” the Home Minister said.
He also rejected apprehensions of some members that terrorism was on rise in the Valley as he reeled out figures to suggest that it had gone down with the security forces eliminating more militants.
With several opposition members citing the ongoing unrest and recent terror attacks to express concern that terrorism was on the rise in the Valley, the Home Minister said 152 terror incidents have taken place so far this year, as against 208 in 2015 and 220 in 2012.
While 86 militants have been killed so far this year compared to 108 in 2015 and 72 in 2012.
Singh said five civilians had died in terror incidents so far this year prior to the ongoing unrest, as against 17, 28 and 15 in 2015, 2014 and 2012.
During the current protests, 38 civilians were killed and 2180 injured with 2055 of them having been discharged from hospitals. One security person had also died and 1739 of them suffered injuries, the Home Minister said.
Training guns on Pakistan, he said it came into being in the name of religion but failed to keep the Muslims together and underwent a division.
“It does not need to worry about Muslims in India,” he said and invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s poem to suggest that those who fuel fire in the homes of others get caught in the same blaze.
He also recalled the BJP stalwart’s mantra of ‘Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat (Democracy) and Insaniyat (Humanity) to solve the problem there and termed the Valley as India’s crown while making a reference to Aamir Khusro’s “heaven on earth” expression for it.
“The youths of Kashmir are also patriots. There is an attempt to misguide some… There is a mindset that the stokes baseless anger against India,” he said, adding that same “distorted mindset” can be seen in parts of Chhattisgarh, in a reference to Maoist violence there.
Referring to the demand of some members that an all-party delegation be sent to the Valley, he said he had spoken to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who said it could be discussed when she comes to Delhi in the next 2-3 days as the situation there was returning to normal.
“I myself want to go there and stay in a guest house to establish dialogue with the people there… We are sure that we will succeed in improving the conditions in Kashmir,” Singh said.
Noting that Pakistan has an evil eye on Kashmir, he assured the House that the Government will restore its pride and glory.
Striking a conciliatory note, he said all Governments in the past have made efforts to improve the conditions there.
The Home Minister termed plebiscite an “outdated and irrelevant” idea.
Jyotiraditya Scindia (Cong) said he had never spoken about plebiscite but had called for dialogue and talks.
Curfew is being relaxed in the Valley now and newspapers have begun hitting the stands. Internet was blocked but it is no longer so, he said, adding that the web was being used to inflame passions.
Giving an example, he said a photograph showing police beating up civilians was being circulated even though the incident had happened in Uttar Pradesh long back.
The discussion in Parliament, he said, showed that all parties can come together when faced with a big challenge and waxed eloquence on India’s unity in diversity. (PTI)
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