SRINAGAR: A sharp increase ‘in the activities of the militant Outfits in Jammu and Kashmir Valley has been noticed recently. The JKLF the Ikhwanul Muslimeen the Jamlatul Mujahideen and the Hizbul Muhahideen are said to have geared up their ranks and are keeping security personnel engaged in skirmishes

While the JKLF has launched Simultaneous attacks on paramilitary forces across the troubled yalley under “Operation Karbala” in connection with Moharrum functions in memory of Hazarat Hussains Martydol the Ikhwanul Muslimeen has set up “death squads” which force their entry in the security pickets hitting the “targets” from a very close range.

The Jamiatul Mujahideen which killed several alleged “informers” in the border district of Kupwara in north Kashmir few days back has announced that it would “punish” the activists of the parties that support India like the National Conference and the Congress on the plea they are hobnobbing with New Delhi for reviving traditional political process.

The Jamiat had shot dead a senior Congress leader Mohammad Ismall Nissan in broad day light when he was coming out of the residence of former Minister Moulvi Iftikhar Ansari. The militant group has warned senior leaders of both the parties against serious consequences for what it called “anti-movement activities.”

The Hizbul Mujahideen guerrillas have also intensified their activities. Recently they have attacked several security personnel in and around Srinagar.

“The claims about the improvement in the situation made by the State Administration are misleading” said a senior bureaucrat about the recent utterance of the Union Home Minister and the State Governor.

The growing number of attacks on security pickets and patrols and the attacks on paramilitary personnel posted within the city are alarming. The security forces maintaining vigil within the city are “over-stretched” as one police officer admitted.

Coupled with this the spate of civilians released by the State Administration has created suspicions about the earlier claims that it is only the “guilty” who are arrested Many have been declared innocent after being in detention for more than two years. The process of “alienation” of the general masses has further risen following a lot of civilian casualties at the hands of over reacting forces.

Though departmental enquiries have been ordered against erring security personnel the results of none of them have been made public so far.

On the other hand hardly a day passes in the valley when news does not come about the killing of innocent people caught in the cross-fire.

“This is the pet reply whenever enquiries are made about the death the innocent citizens. The busy market streets in old Srinagar city have recently witnessed more than 50 attacks on pickets and patrols of security forces. An almost certain outcome of such attacks is the indiscriminate return fire by the forces which kills the passersby.

Though State Governor Girish Chander Saxena has time and again condemned such overreactions yet a nothing worthwhile seems to be done about this. Many times it has also been brought to the notice of Presspersons that “innocent” people are being lifted during routine crackdowns and booked for offences not committed by them.

The revival of political process in the valley is being directly linked by the local administration with the release of detainees. This move though appraisable has not helped to create a congenial atmosphere locally. The move may in fact be counter-productive

The general mood in the valley is not only that of indifference but one of scornful disregard about the political leaders. “It appeared that the National Conference and

Congress leaders who were shown on Doordarshan talking to S.B.Chavan were directly imported from their safe havens at Jammu and Delhi” feels Bashir Ahmed a leading garment dealer of Srinagar.

The militants have been sending clear signals that no political will be allowed in the valley. The talk of elections seems to sprinkle salt over the wounds of people who have directly suffered during the last three years. The stalemate seems to have been growing deeper instead of being broken at the political horizon of Kashmir.

Meanwhile over 30000 yatris are expected to have ‘darshan’ at Amarnath cave on August 13. This was disclosed at an official meeting conveyed here to ensure arrangements for making yatra comfortable for yatris.

A Government spokesman told The Pioneer that at the meeting there were threadbare discussions on all important topics.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 24, 1992