BLUNT BUTCHER
JAMMU: Salute to Jammu and Kashmir Police for reviewing 104 cases involving 634 stone pelters of the Kashmir Valley in less than 24 hours of the directions from Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and deciding to withdraw these by tomorrow, the eve or the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, subject to appearance of moon.
This is yet another feather in the cap of BJP partnered PDP headed Coalition Government. At least, the alliance partners have undone the ‘wrong’ committed by the previous NC-Congress Government as the cases pertain to the period between 2008 and 2014. However, the question arises, how strategies and commitments of political parties change in this sensitive State. In 2013, Bharatiya Janata Party had dumped Omar Abdullah’s amnesty package for stone pelters, saying there was ISI hand behind 2010 protests and stone pelting. Today, the BJP has chosen to be a party in releasing those who made Indian security forces target in the streets of the Srinagar city. They are joining PDP in offering Eidi to stone pelters by withdrawing cases against them.
It has become fashion for successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir to announce amnesties. So long these related to waiver of electricity tarrif, sales tax or other dues to defaulters, the hurt would be felt by the State coffers but showing leniency towards stone pelters is like giving license to anti-national elements to hit hard the national pride with impunity. The police, which finds nothing wrong or serious in the cases involving 634 stone pelters had, in fact traced documentary evidence during a massive drive launched on 5th February 2010 in the Valley suggesting that the stone pelting had emerged as a lucrative business for many in Kashmir. The police had arrested a person, identified as Irshad Ahmed and recovered dozens of SIM cards, threatening letters, fake press identity cards, cheque books and well maintained account registers and log books on engaging the stone pelters. One of the registers carried 294 names along with their photographs besides the details of money paid to them for indulging in stone pelting in the downtown city of Srinagar. Interrogation of some of the stone-pelters had revealed involvement of separatist groups, some political parties, terror organisations owing allegiance to Pakistan like Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-e-Taiba having formed smaller groups of a dozen youth or so who were being for engaging “initiators” who pick up stones and start pelting on police and para-military forces, on trivial issues.
On the one hand street urchins were being paid money to indulge in stone pelting and on the other, a sinister and well planned strategy was being carried out through the social networking sites, at the behest of terror masters across the border and their cronies within the valley. The YouTube clipping with lyrics of the everlasting song ‘Stone in My Hand’ is still afreshin the minds of those who have been following sinister elements on social network sites. And when the police launched manhunt for the person who had posted it on YouTube, another video with lyrics, ‘I got no pistol, ain’t got no sword. I got no army, ain’t got no land. All I got is stones in my hand’ was posted on the site. The pictures of combat vehicles surrounded by stone-carrying youth still exist on various sites.
Such being the commitment of stone pelters, who have replaced gun-wielding terrorists to keep secessionist movement in Kashmir alive, how can the government even think of granting amnesty? With the BJP in power, one would have normally expected the law enforcing agencies to be taken to task for not charge-sheeting those involved in various crimes.
Now that the government has taken a decision to give another lease of life to chronic stone pelters, what is the gurantee that they will not again indulge in stone pelting, which they justify as Intifada? Syed Ali Shah Geelani has already announced peaceful demonstrations after the Eid prayers in Srinagar. It is not difficult to assume what his peaceful demonstrations stand for. In the past, these demonstrations used to be full of violence with stone pelters taking centre-stage. He has called the shots again. What ought to have been an occasion of sharing joys, visiting relatives, friends and acquaintances, exchanging gifts and giving Eidi to the youngsters, some of the ‘peaceful protesters’ of Geelani may again don the streets of Srinagar and indulge in their pastime of stone-pelting with the hope that someday some government will come and bail them out for having targeted security forces on auspicious occasions like Eid.
