Chennai tourist killed near Srinagar: Mortal remains of 22-yr-old flown to Tamil Nadu as Kashmiris condemn attack

The mortal remains of the 22-year-old tourist from Chennai, who was killed in a stone-pelting incident near Srinagar, were flown to Chennai on Tuesday as Kashmiris cutting across the political spectrum condemned the incident. R Thirumani’s grieving parents and sister accompanied his body on an IndiGo flight, IANS quoted an official of the tourism department as saying. The last rites are expected to be held on Wednesday, according to The Quint . The 22-year-old, who hailed from Chennai, was injured when stone pelters attacked a tourist vehicle in Narbal area on Srinagar-Gulmarg road on Monday. He was shifted to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), where he succumbed to his injuries. [caption id=“attachment_4460621” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of R Thirumani. Twitter/@rahulpandita[/caption] The Tribune reported that the police had arrested one person in connection with Thirumani’s death. “The matter is under investigation. One person has been arrested and efforts are on to nab around five more suspects involved in the incident at the Narbal crossing,” the report quoted Budgam superintendent of police (SSP) Tejinder Singh as saying. The Quint, however, reported that three persons had been arrested in connection with the incident. Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami on Tuesday announced a solatium of Rs three lakh to Thirumani’s family. The Jammu and Kashmir government has also reportedly announced a compensation of Rs two lakh, The Quint report noted_._ Palaniswami also spoke to Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti over the phone on Tuesday and sought her help for the safe return of 130 tourists from Tamil Nadu. “I asked… Mehbooba Mufti to help officials of the Tamil Nadu government for the safe return of the tourists,” he said. Leaders across the Jammu and Kashmir spectrum, including political parties and separatist groups, had condemned Thirumani’s death. Mufti described the incident as “murder of humanity”, while the Joint Resistance Forum, comprising the three main separatist groups of Kashmir, said the incident had dented the image of the Valley and its tradition of welcoming guests. Civil society in Kashmir also condemned the incident, adding that all innocent killings, including those of Kashmiris, needed to be denounced. Those who pick up stones to kill have no religion: Mufti The chief minister reached out to the parents of the 22-year-old victim on Tuesday. “Those who pick up stones to kill someone have no religion,” Mehbooba said after meeting the victim’s father. The issue will be discussed and debated on television for days and “we will be silently watching the murder of humanity, which has been unheard of in the state”, PTI quoted Mufti as saying. “My head hangs in shame,” she said, while also questioning the education being imparted to children. “The mother in me is rattled about the kind of education we are imparting to our next generation,” Mufti, the first woman chief minister of the state, said. She then described the incident as a blot on the cultural value system of Kashmir and an attempt to bulldoze its economy. “I have no words strong enough to condemn this tragic incident or even condole with the family,” she said in a statement on Tuesday, reiterating her condemnation for the tourist’s murder. The chief minister also called on Governor NN Vohra in Srinagar on Tuesday and discussed the situation in the state with him, particularly counter-terrorism operations and stone-pelting incidents, including the one in which Thirumani was killed. “During the course of their one-and-a-half hour long meeting, the governor and chief minister discussed various important matters relating to counter-terrorist operations; continuing incidents of stone pelting; the death of a tourist and other concerns,” an official spokesman said after the meeting. Further, Mehbooba has convened an all-party meeting to discuss the situation in the Kashmir Valley. “Chief Minister Mufti is convening an all-party meeting in Srinagar on Wednesday to discuss the prevailing situation with political parties across the board,” an official spokesperson said. The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) at 2 pm on Wednesday, he added. Omar Abdullah sorry for incident Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah condemned Thirumani’s killing and also hit out at the state government, saying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruling alliance was a failure. “We’ve killed a tourist by throwing stones at the vehicle he was travelling in. Let’s try and wrap our heads around the fact that we stoned a tourist, a guest, to death while we glorify these stone-pelters and their methods,” he had said in a series of tweets. “This young man from Chennai died in my constituency and while I don’t support these goons, their methods or their ideology, I’m deeply, deeply sorry that this happened at all and that too in an area I’ve been proud to represent since 2014,” he had said. The National Conference working president had also wished speedy recovery to a girl from Handwara who was also injured due to stone-pelting. “I’m also pained to know that among the injured from the stone pelting in Narbal is a young woman from Handwara in North Kashmir. I pray she and the others injured make a quick recovery,” he had said. Omar lashed out at the state government and called the PDP-BJP ruling alliance a “failure”. “The J&K Govt has failed, the chief minister has failed, the BJP-PDP alliance has failed. How much blood will have to be shed in Kashmir before the prime minister (Narendra Modi) realises the gravity of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir? When will enough finally be enough?” he asked. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemns ‘hooliganism and rowdiness’ The Joint Resistance Forum, comprising the three main separatist groups in Kashmir, also condemned the killing and said the incident had dented the image of the Valley and its tradition of welcoming guests. The death was “unfortunate” and had undermined their struggle, said a statement from the Forum, comprising the hardline and moderate factions of the Hurriyat Conference and the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. “Tourists are our guests and we should be loyal to our Kashmiri and religious traditions by refraining from harassing them,” the statement in Urdu said. Senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also addressed the issue, saying, “Deeply saddened by the news of the death of a tourist due to stone pelting. I condemn such hooliganism and rowdiness. It is totally against our ethos of treating tourists as respected guests and brings a bad name to the people’s movement,” he added. Need to be firm with terrorists: Nirmala Sitharaman  Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman termed the incident as “ absolutely unfortunate ”. On the sidelines of the biannual naval commanders’ conference, Sitharaman said Thirumani’s death in a stone-pelting incident in the Kashmir Valley only proved how the armed forces “need to be firm with terrorists” , and ensure safe movement of tourists. The incident comes just as the tourist season in Kashmir begins to gather pace with the summer setting in over large parts of the country. “I don’t know whether it (the incident) was inadvertent or (committed) knowingly but it is completely condemnable,” she added. Incident aimed at hurting vibrant tourism sector in J&K: BJP BJP national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna said Thirumani’s murder was an attack aimed at hurting the economic activities and the vibrant tourism sector in the state. “This attack has come at a time when the tourist season is just commencing and all stake-holders linked with the tourist industry were keenly waiting the arrival of tourists in large numbers,” Khanna said. “Such incidents come as a shock for all, including the tourists,” he said, adding that tourists have planned their visit in advance and booked hotels, lodges and houseboats. Khanna said it goes without saying that a large number of people from different parts of the country and abroad come to enjoy the natural beauty of the Kashmir Valley every year. From the hotel owners to houseboat owners, shikarawalas to rehriwalas, bus to taxi operators, everyone is dependent on tourist influx, particularly during the ongoing peak season. By targeting the visitors, the stone-pelters have only hurt the tourism sector and those dependent on it, he said. Keeping in view the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra, the government has to be cautious and must deal firmly with stone-pelters, he said, adding that incident such as this also tarnish the image of a common Kashmiri and shatter peace. PDP-BJP alliance gravest provocation to Valley: Chidambaram Former Union minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram advised Mufti to quit the coalition government, saying the “unholy” alliance was the gravest provocation to the people of the Valley. “Mufti should break her party’s unholy and opportunistic coalition with the BJP. And go back to the philosophy of her father. The PDP-BJP coalition is the gravest provocation to the people of the Valley. Mehbooba_ji_, quit the coalition immediately and go back to the people,” he tweeted. Amnesty to stone-pelters a ‘suicidal move’: Sham Lal Sharma In Jammu, senior state Congress vice-president and former minister Sham Lal Sharma termed the move to grant amnesty to stone-pelters by the PDP-BJP government a “suicidal move”. “Granting amnesty to stone-pelters has not helped in bringing normalcy in the Valley. Instead, the situation has further deteriorated,” he said at a function. In a statement, the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries (JCCI) said the amnesty was a “great gesture”, but now it “needed a re-look”. It also appealed to the people to rise above ideologies for peace in Kashmir. “It is not the time for a blame game to score political brownie points,” it said, and urged people from all spectrums — social, civil societies, political parties as well as separatist groups — to rise above “ideologies, agendas and party politics”. Civil society anguished Those who earn their living from tourism in the Valley are particularly shocked. “What have we proved by doing this? We claim to be the most hospitable society, and here we have a guest killed in stone pelting,” said Zahoor Ahmad, 33, a taxi operator. “What crime had the tourist committed? His only crime was that he trusted his life with us,” Ahmad added. “What message are we sending out? Those who targeted the tourists cannot be fighting for the rights of Kashmiris. The incident has deeply shocked us all,” said Nazir Ahmad, a hotel owner in north Kashmir’s Sonamarg tourist resort. “How can anyone claim to be fighting for human rights by violating the rights of others? The guilty need to be exposed,” said Bashir Ahmad, a university employee in Srinagar. Some locals who too condemned the attack added that all innocent killings, including those of Kashmiris, also needed to be denounced. “Nobody will support an attack on an innocent tourist. At the same time, there must be unequivocal condemnation of killings of innocent Kashmiris as well,” said Mehrajuddin, a fruit seller in Srinagar. With inputs from agencies