SO WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING IN KASHMIR ?

Image Source: CAPTIVATING KASHMIR (Instagram)

As I write this piece, the weather turns around and spring makes way for the blossoms in the Kashmir Valley. The ice melts and as it is expected, the infiltration bids tend to increase through the LoC. For the locals, some hope to see tourists arriving over Asia’s largest Tulip Garden: Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Gardens in Srinagar. Lakhs of people are coming to admire this garden on the foothills of Zabarwan range. Though, the valley has witnessed some of the bloodiest days in the recent years, there is something to cheer for the Army, a successful month ending with the killing of atleast 13 militants in three encounters in Shopian & Anantnag. CM Mehbooba urging centre about “Reconciliation”, interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma talks about showing restrain over civilian killings to the security forces; still valley remains on the edge. As the winters depart & financial year ends, let’s track WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING IN KASHMIR?

Image Source: HINDUSTAN TIMES

SACKING OF DRABU

The relations between the ruling coalition of PDP & BJP reached a new low with the sacking of state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu. The minister, considered to be the point man to engage with the centre, mentioned to a group of diplomats that Kashmir is “not a political issue” but “a society which has social issues right now.” Speaking on “Kashmir: The Way Forward” an event organized by the PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry in New Delhi on March 9, Drabu set off a political storm in J&K when he said: “Don’t see J&K as a conflict state and a political issue. It is a society which has social issues right now. We are trying to find our own space and we are going through a process which many other countries are also going through.” As per a report published in The Indian Express, the rulling PDP initiated disciplinary action against him, sought an explanation & later sacked. This is the first time in recent years when a senior cabinet minister was sacked for making a statement not in line with the policy of the ruling party.

HURRIYAT

Image Source: ASIAN AGE

88 years old separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on 20^th March named Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, 72 as his successor of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat. After 11 days the government released him from house detention after five years. Several supporters gathered at a mosque in Hyderpore where he offered Friday prayers. According to Economic Times, Political observers believe that he is more rigid than Geelani & is seen as a ‘straight forward’ politician who at times has criticised Geelani in his personal communications on various issues. J&K DGP Vaid said to some local newspapers that separatist leader including Geelani, Miwaiz Farooq & Yasin Malik were free to carry out their political & social activities but without creating law & order problem. Soon, they called for bandh over the visit of Interlocutor Sharma to the downtowns of Srinagar. Moreover, security has again been beefed up over the call for bandh by the same leaders (who later were placed under house arrest) on the killing of civilians during latest Shopian encounter. 

    

Image Source: SCROLL.IN

ARMY’S “BIGGEST WIN”

In one of the biggest counter operations in recent times, 13 militants were killed in three separate operations starting on 31 March. According to GOC, 15 Corps of the Indian Army, “7 militants along with one civilian were killed in Shopian’s Dragged village. In Kachdoora of same district we killed 5 militants. Here only we lost our three jawans while they were engaged with the parents of the militants making way for their surrender. In Anantnag we killed one militant & captured one alive. Somehow, the breakthrough moment for all of us was the killing of two militants behind Lt. Umar Fayaz who lost his life last May in a coward attack by the militants.” In the post encounter protests around 60 locals were injured due to pallet injuries. 

In an interview to NDTV, J&K DGP S.P. Vaid talked about bringing the situation in valley to normal & attracting the tourists. “Summer is peaceful as of now. While there was encounter going on, lakhs of people visited the tulip garden. There was a queue of three kilometers waiting to enter the garden” said the DGP. On several issues like the killings of civilians and the effect of ISIS in Kashmir recently seen the killing of a youth from Telangana, Vaid said,“ISIS ideology is dangerous. But violence will lead us nowhere. Some boys are getting affected and Kashmir is no different. 16-17 boys returned when their mothers appealed. ” So what’s the latest ISIS connection?

In a recent report published in The Outlook, Mohammad Taufeeq, 26, a boy from Telangana died recently with two local militants at Anantnag’s Hakkora on March 11. The confirmation from the police brings ISIS to the middle of the Kashmir Discourse & has left the security agencies worried that boys like Tufeeq could influence more Indian youth from other states to turn to Kashmir for Jihad.