Not Burhan Wani's death, civil killings make situation uncertain in Kashmir

Kashmir has erupted in protests to the killing of the 22-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani, in the gunfight with security forces in the Kokernag area of South Kashmir. Twenty-five people have died and there is no let up in the anger, and the youth have hit the streets taking out pro-freedom marches, attacking government property and even setting fire to a police station. But as situation remains grim, the government has failed to reach out to people and even some of the pockets have been completely taken over by the youth. In all major parts of Kashmir, the streets have been blocked and containing the protests has become a major challenge for the PDP-BJP government. The areas that have remained the PDP bastions of South Kashmir have seen men indulge in attacking government properties and even burning police stations. On Sunday, protesters pushed a police vehicle into the Jhelum River and the driver drowned with three police personnel still missing and the death toll increasing, as those who have been critically injured are succumbing to the injuries. Kashmir Valley remains shut for the fourth day on Monday and the government machinery has entirely broken down with protesters taking over major parts of Srinagar city including Bemina, Tengpora and outskirts of Wathoora. The protesters are taking out marches in the absence of police presence in major parts. As tensions continue, both the NC and Congress have tried to cash in on the rage and are seeing this outpouring as dissatisfaction with the PDP-BJP coalition government. The former CM Omar Abdullah, earlier lost no time in terming the slain militant commander as a new youth icon for the Kashmir’s dissatisfied. Congress state president GA Mir has urged upon the forces to exercise maximum restraint, while dealing with the protesters. [caption id=“attachment_2886716” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Kashmir Valley remains shut for the fourth day on Monday and government machinery has entirely broken down with protesters taking over major parts of Srinagar city. PTI.[/caption] But more than the political slugfest that it has triggered, the unprecedented protests are also largely seen as a matter of concern by security officials, while the political analysts see this as an erosion of the credibility of New Delhi. They have been fuelling the protests and are defiant to not only attack the policemen and ransack the property, but these protests are marked out as a high-decibel pitch for freedom. Never before have the protests over the deaths of militant commanders been matched with the rage of this scale. The fear remains that it could further trigger the cycle of violence and the spiral the Kashmir Valley into long spells of curfews and blockades as fresh reports of violence continue to pour in. The situation has turned so grave that in some of the pockets, the police and the government forces have given up to contain the protesters and are allowing road blockades and stone pelting. Slogans of “Hum Kya Chahtay Azadi (We want freedom)’’ are being clearly heard on the streets. “Never before was New Delhi seen with such hatred, as it is now,’’ said Professor Gul Wani of Political Sciences department, Kashmir University. He said that the protests are in reaction to the disenchantment with the current PDP-BJP dispensation. “India is being largely seen now as a muscular power, which is exercising its authority on the people of Kashmir. Never before had there been such a huge credibility deficit as it is now. Even in early nineties there was no such hatred for the Indian government but it has been due to the communal regime at the Centre that the protests have become shriller. There is certainly a wall that has been created between New Delhi and the people of the state and efforts at garnering peace through the Track-II activities have been lost.’’ Former Kashmir interlocutor, MM Ansari said that the protests only reiterate the need for resolving the problem of Kashmir. “ Unless Kashmir imbroglio is politically resolved, killing one militant will produce 10 more of them. Eight lakh army is pitched against 60 lakh alienated youth which is unfair. Army is not meant for eliminating its own children, how so ever misguided they may be. We must engage every one in search of solution through democratic means.” Gul Wani said that large-scale protests have also got to do with the “niche” that the militant commander Burhan created for himself. A senior security official said that Burhan Wani’s active presence on social networking sites led to “disgruntled youth taking out marches in his support”. But it is the subsequent civil killings that makes situation uncertain here. Given the protests, state government has cautioned the security forces to exercise restraint. An emergency Cabinet meet was convened by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday, which expressed concern over the killing. Government Spokesman and Education Minister Nayeem Akhtar said that the forces should ensure that no collateral damage is caused. Earlier CM Mehbooba said, “The disproportionate use of force for crowd control results in loss of precious lives and grave injuries which should be avoided at all costs. The police and the paramilitary forces should use the standard operational procedure (SOP) while dealing with protesters to avoid loss of precious human lives or injuries.”