Omar assures support to end bloodshed
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 29: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today took the fight to Opposition National Conference and Congress camp targeting their senior leaders including former Prime Minister of UPA-I and II Dr Manmohan Singh and NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah, albeit without naming them, saying they took no initiatives to solve Kashmir problem during their tenures and that the process initiated by former BJP Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was left mid-way and was revived by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Replying to debate on Adjournment Motions, moved in the Legislative Assembly by NC, Congress, CPM and others for discussion on Shopian killings, Mehbooba said despite all-odds, Vajpayee had initiated exercise to normalize relations with Pakistan and went to Lahore. Vajpayee even invited Pervez Musharraf to Agra but things didn’t mature due to “last moment hiccups,” she said, adding the process was followed by Parliament attack and border escalations.
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“The Then Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani initiated talks with separatists,” she recalled.
Targeting 10 years rule of UPA-I and UPA-II, which followed the Vajpayee Government, Mehbooba said the UPA Government didn’t follow the process already initiated by the previous Government.
Without naming Manmohan Singh, she said five Working Groups were set up by that Government on which all major political parties worked to draft Confidence Building Measures. “But what happened to the reports of these Groups? No fresh measures were taken on Muzaffarabad and Rawlakote cross-LoC routes. Everything was stopped. The then Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) continued to talk of visiting Pakistan saying he wished to see his parental house. But he couldn’t visit Pakistan once in the 10 years,” she regretted and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi of visiting Pakistan to attend wedding reception in the house of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief. However, she said, the visit was followed by Pathankot and Uri attacks.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rigzin Jora was on his feet and interrupted the speech of the Chief Minister when she targeted 10 years rule of UPA. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri intervened saying the member should have capacity to listen.
Mehbooba said the BJP Prime Ministers have taken initiatives to resolve issues with Pakistan and solve the Kashmir problem. She said Modi took over from where Vajpayee had left.
Taking on National Conference leaders Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba recalled that during 1996 -1997, then Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujaral during his visit to Qazigund had announced holding unconditional talks with separatists but the then Chief Minister had threatened to revolt if the dialogue was held.
Again without naming Farooq, the Chief Minister said when there was escalation of troops on the borders in the aftermath of Parliament attack but Vajpayee tackled situation seriously and Army was back, then Chief Minister had remarked: “Dhotiwale Kya Karenge. Bina Goli Chalaye Waapis Aa Gaye”. She told the Opposition members that the same NC leader had called for bombardment on PoK to solve Kashmir.
Targeting Omar Abdullah, who was present in the House, Mehbooba reminded the Opposition members that during his Government, the stone pelters were branded as “drug addicts and criminals”. However, she told the House that her Government has given amnesty to stone pelters from 2008 to 2017. The present Government, she said, was also calling parents of stone pelters for their counseling so that their career is not spoiled.
She quoted Omar as having said during the Chief Ministership that throwing stones on bunkers was like committing suicide.
However, Omar immediately intervened saying her statement has been misinterpreted by Mehbooba Mufti.
“I never said such a thing but had cited the example of a youth arrested for stone pelting, who said he was fed up with life after a girl rejected him. His friends told him it is a sin to commit suicide. The youth claimed he was asked by friends to pelt stones on Army bunker to die as martyr and reach heaven,” Omar said. He accused Mehbooba of playing politics over dead bodies.
On the other, Omar said, it was Mehbooba Mufti, who had stated that whether the youths protesting outside Army camps had gone there to take milk or toffee.
Mehbooba said it was her Government’s duty to take the investigation in the Shopian incident, where two civilians were killed allegedly in Army firing, to a logical conclusion.
Defending her Government’s decision to lodge an FIR against the personnel involved in the incident, she said she did not believe the action would have a demoralizing effect on the force.
Terming the incident a “setback” to the political process, Mehbooba said she spoke about it to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who asked her to take the required action in case there was “carelessness”.
The J&K Police had yesterday registered an FIR under Sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Ranbir Penal Code against personnel of the 10, Garhwal unit, of the Army.
“I do not accept that the Army gets demoralized by such actions. The Army is an institution and has done a wonderful job. But a black sheep can be anywhere… Among judges there can be black sheep, but we can’t paint every one with the same brush,” Ms Mufti said.
She said if somebody commits a mistake, he should be punished as such a course only brings laurels to the institution.
“If some Army officer has committed a mistake, an FIR has been lodged and it is the duty of the Government to take it to a logical conclusion,” she said.
Giving details, she said two militants and a civilian were killed in an encounter on January 24. “The police asked the Army to not pass through the village as one of the militants killed in the encounter was its resident. The Army, because of some compulsion, took the route but their vehicles came under stone pelting resulting in the killing of two civilians in the firing,” she said.
It is a “big issue”, Ms Mufti, who leads a PDP-BJP coalition in the State, said.
Every now and then we have “unfortunate” incidents that should not have happened, she added.
“We are asking the Army and other security forces to maintain utmost restraint but it is also a fact that unlike in the past when villages used to get deserted if there was an encounter, or even a fake encounter, now hundreds indulge in stone pelting on security forces when an encounter breaks out,” she said.
Mehbooba said that whether at Unified Command meetings or elsewhere, she always advocated restraint in dealing with civilians. “I asked the forces to resort to aerial firing instead of direct firing if they have no other option,” she said.
The Government is on the back foot due to such killings and it is of no benefit to us, she said.
She praised the Centre for “serious initiatives” on Kashmir and asked Opposition members to maintain consistency on dialogue, relations with Pakistan etc.
“We can’t afford confrontation with Pakistan because we suffer a lot and I am feeling happy when there is any indication of back channel dialogue between the two countries,” Mehbooba said.
Participating in the debate, National Conference working president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured his party’s full support to the PDP-BJP Government in putting an end to violence and bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir and suggested an all-party meet to discuss the prevailing law-and-order situation.
He said, “We have to come together in this House so that a strong message is sent outside that there is enough of bloodshed and we have to stop it.”
“Make an attempt, because you (CM Mehbooba Mufti) are the leader of the House. I assure you that whatever you require in terms of support from us that we are able to end this cycle of bloodshed and violence, the NC will support any step you take so that we can put an end to having to intervene like this,” Omar said.
Suggesting an all-party meeting to discuss the prevailing law-and-order situation, the NC legislative party leader said, “Either you sit somewhere (with your coalition partner) or call us as well… We have to stop this cycle (of bloodshed and violence).”
“I want to convey my assurance on behalf of my party and if you have any step in your mind, we are ready to join you and walk with you with a purpose that killing of innocents is put to an end,” the former Chief Minister said.
He said, “Today’s discussion is not meant to point fingers at each other… Politics is not from our side but politics is being played within the coalition. Please leave such politics as we do not want to play politics and you should not do it as well.”
Questioning ordering of a magisterial inquiry as well as registration of an FIR against Army personnel in the Shopian incident, Abdullah said confusing signals are being sent out.
“On one hand, magisterial inquiry was ordered and simultaneously, an FIR was lodged against the Army in which a Major and some personnel were named,” he said, adding if the FIR had been lodged against unknown persons, the importance of magisterial inquiry would have remained intact.
“If we know in advance the people involved and a case of murder and attempt to murder is registered, then what is the need for magisterial inquiry,” Omar asked and said: “if the Government is sure about the personnel, then let the police take a call as the FIR becomes the primary document. He asserted that two precious lives have been lost and they must be given justice.
“Today, there is no weakness in the Central Government. Your Government has no problem. I have held this (CM’s) chair as well and probably, you have much more regret over such killings than us,” he said, adding, “We need to take such steps which will ensure an end to such things.”
Referring to the Machil incident, the former Chief Minister said, “Accountability, which we want to bring in the process, was being reversed slowly.”
In July last year, an Armed Forces Tribunal suspended the life sentence given to five Army personnel by a court martial for allegedly staging the killing of three Kashmiri men on the intervening night of April 29 and 30 in 2010 in Macchil sector in Jammu and Kashmir had triggered wide-spread outrage and violence in the State.
“Take the example of Machil, the court martial awarded sentence to the guilty after legally recognized process and later it was given a reverse gear,” he said.
This has led to a sense of impunity that “whatever we do, if found guilty, we will not be punished,” the NC working president alleged.
“Those who were killed (in Shopian) were not hit in the leg and died of excessive bleedings, they were shot in the upper parts and there was no attempt to stop people,” he alleged.
Earlier, initiating debate, NC leader and former Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar described situation in Kashmir as grim saying from South to North and Central Kashmir, Cordon And Search Operations (CASO) were being conducted and there was use of pellet guns. He wanted to know who are Advisors of the Chief Minister, who are not allowing Kashmiris to sit in peace.
Describing Kashmir as “dispute issues”, Sagar said India, Pakistan and Kashmiris are parties to it and “we must accept it. There are no two opinions about it”. He called for holding talks with all separatists and advised the Government not to make Kashmir as ‘Kabristan’ (graveyard).
“During last three years, many FIRs have been registered and inquiries orders but what is the result? Where are the inquiry reports? FIRs were forgotten. The Government needs to restore trust among the people,” Sagar said.
Sagar demanded immediate arrest of the accused and completion of the probe initiated by the Government within a fortnight. He called for initiating a political process to put an end to the cycle of killings and recurrent violent protests, which, he said, cannot be found through the security prism.
Sagar further said that such incidents lead to grave consequence as these are contributing in losing political space for the mainstream political parties in the Valley. He also called for exercising maximum restraint while dealing with such incidents.
CPM veteran MY Tarigami said the Army shouldn’t be overburdened as they have the limit and should be confined to protect border. Kashmir, he added, required a political solution.
Regretting that the Kashmiris were being pushed to the wall, Tarigami said the Chief Minister should boldly say there was no need of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) as “we have our police to deal with the situation”. He wanted to know where the reports prepared by NN Vohra, KC Pant and Dileep Padgaonkar as Interlocutors have been lost?
Tarigami said one line resolution should go to the Government of India suggesting them to start serious political dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Not Interlocutor, but the Government of India should come forward for dialogue,” he added.
Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, PDP MLA from Shopian described firing by the troops on civilians in Shopian as “unprovoked” and “without any reason”.
Referring to August 15 speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Kashmiris have to be embraced, Bhat wanted to know why the people were being killed.
“I have inputs that bullets could have been avoided on civilians, Unnecessary force was used on the people. If we push Kashmiri youths away, it will not be good. Kashmiri sentiments need to be addressed. There was need to go into root cause of the youths picking up stones. Don’t treat is as mere law and order problem,” the ruling PDP MLA said.
He, however, appreciated Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for immediately ordering registration of FIR and inquiry into the incident and hoped that the FIR will be taken to logical conclusion. He said those named in the FIR should be arrested.
Ruling BJP MLA from Ramnagar RS Pathania described the issue as “very sensitive” saying the loss of human lives, in whatever form or reason they occur, is condemnable.
“The magisterial probe is alright but I can’t understand whether a person can be hanged on the first day of crime?” he asked and demanded withdrawal of the First Information Report (FIR) registered against the Army.
Pathania reminded the House that scientific investigations conducted during “double murder and rape case” in Shopian had proved all theories wrong. He called for conducting “impartial and fair probe” into the case and said action should be taken only if somebody was found guilty.
The BJP MLA said there were reports that the youths had pelted stones on Army vehicles, which were damaged and many Army personnel were injured. “The law should take its own course,” he asserted.
“There should be no vote bank politics on law and order problem. We should clearly tell the Kashmiri youths that borders can’t change,” Pathania said.
National Conference leader and former Minister Mian Altaf said the administration should have shown some alertness in view of the inputs.
Altaf said the Government needs to open political channels to fill the vacuum between the Government and the people. He suggested that the political leaders should be cautious while issuing statements to avoid provocation.
Gulzar Ahmad Wani (Congress) called for collective efforts by all to restore peace and tranquillity in the State while rising about the political affiliations. He expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the State, especially in Kashmir valley and sought an immediate end to civilian killings.
Hakeem Mohammad Yasin, former Minister, called for serious efforts to restore calm.
Hakim called for observing utmost restraint while dealing with street protests to avoid civilian casualties. He also demanded a transparent probe into the Shopian firing incident.
Bashir Ahmad Dar (People’s Conference) condemned the killings and hailed the Government’s decision to order a judicial probe. He opined such incidents would have stopped if those found guilty in the past would have been brought to justice. He said the gun is not a solution to the problem and urged for a meaningful dialogue.
Pawan Kumar Gupta, Independent MLA from Udhampur also condemned the incident and said such incidents should not occur in future.
Gupta called for taking steps to revive brotherhood, co-existence and harmony for which Kashmir Valley is known. He also called for a probe and said that house should be informed about the facts of the incident so that truth comes to fore.
Earlier, when the Assembly started day’s proceedings, the Oppositions MLAs from NC, Congress, CPM and PDF were on their feet carrying placards in their hands and demanding that business of the House be suspended to discuss Shopian killings for which they had moved adjournment motions..
Within couple of minutes, the Chief Minister urged Speaker Kavinder Gupta to concede demand of the Opposition and allow discussion, which started as the Speaker suspended Question Hour.
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