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India meets Azadi cries with force but Kashmir is slipping
Sach Kanwal Singh 

SRINAGAR: Indian response to Kashmir’s cries of Azadi continued to be only use of force. Force to stop rallies, force to arrest leaders, bullets to keep people away, teargas shells in hundreds fired into crowds. Funerals have become so routine in Kashmir that Indian media and the nation state have become almost immune from the pain of it all. 

Indian police used teargas and gunfire to disperse hundreds of protesters in Kashmir on Tuesday as the death toll among defiant demonstrators since Sunday rose to six.

Protesters broke a curfew and gathered in southern Achabal village a day after five people were killed in police shootings and over 100 injured in clashes as the restrictions were flouted.

A strict curfew remains in force all over the Kashmir valley. New Delhi is struggling to handle a series of major demonstrations against its rule in the mainly Muslim region.

Right from Prime Minister downwards, the Indian nation state is at its wit's end about how to handle the issue triggered by a state government plan made public in June to donate land to a Hindu shrine trust in the Kashmir valley. The decision was later reversed after massive Muslim protests, angering Hindus.

The crackdown prevented a planned rally on Monday by separatists in Srinagar's historic Red Square.

During last few days, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik led some of the largest pro-independence demonstrations since armed militants launched an insurgency against Indian rule in 1989. Since June, more than 40 Muslims and three Hindus have died in police shootings on protesters in the Kashmir valley and the mainly Hindu area of Jammu.

Curfew remained in force across all the 10 districts for the fourth straight day on Wednesday.

Streets in Srinagar and other parts of the valley wore a deserted look. Local newspapers failed to hit the stands in view of the curfew for two days.

In Jammu, the Hindu Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti has refused to sit for fourth round of talks with the government-appointed committee. It complained police excess as a reason and demanded removal of Inspector General of Police and the newly appointed SSP of Jammu region. It also extended their bandh in Jammu till Sunday.

27 August, 2008
 

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