SIALKIT: The recent amendment in the Public Safety Act of the Indian held Jammu Kashmir state is tantamount to putting curbs on the civil and democratic rights of the Kashmiri people.

This was observed by a high level emergent meeting of the opposition National Conference held in Jammu on Wednesday. The meeting bitterly criticized these amendments describing them as a conspiracy against the Kashmiri Muslims. Bashir Ahmed Kitchlu senior NC leader presided.

The meeting through a resolution demanded immediate withdrawal of the amendments in the PSA otherwise the National Conference would be forced to adopt a strict policy to get its demand accepted, the party cautioned. The report indicates that on the one hand the pro-Muslims Kashmiri political parties like the National Conference are strongly opposing, the amendments in the State Public Safety Act, several pro-Hindu parties, including Bharatia Janata Party, on the other hand have welcomed these amendments.

Thakar Baldev Singh, the state unit chief of the BJP in a statement in Jammu said his party fully supports the amendments in the PSA. The pro-Muslim parties fear the amended Public Safety Act will now be used against innocent Kashmiri Muslims who off and on demand their civil and democratic rights, the report said.

Meanwhile, in Srinagar at least 20 people were injured three of them seriously, as a result of a heavy police lathi charge on a mob which was demonstrating against the acute shortage of drinking water in the capital city and other parts of the valley.

‘According to details the inhabitants of Meeran Kilan, a densely Muslim populated area of Srinagar, took out a procession to protest against the scarcity of drinking water in the locality and other areas.

The demonstrating people staged a sit in on the main road to block the vehicular traffic.

Heavy armed contingents of police were dropped in the area that resorted to lathi charge to disperse them.

The crowd retaliated by pelting stones and brickbats as a result of which about half a dozen cops sustained injuries.

The demonstrators chanted slogans against the puppet state administration for discriminating against the Muslim community.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 20, 1986