Democracy under severe strain in Kashmir, say civil society groups

Civil society groups have demanded an immediate end to alleged violence perpetrated by the security forces in the Kashmir Valley and setting up of an independent time-bound commission of inquiry to probe the killings and rights violations.

At a dharna held here on Friday, the civil society groups said it was a matter of grave concern and anguish that no sensitive measures were taken by the Centre in response to the ongoing deaths, injuries and killings of civilians in the Valley. To make the matters worse, the Army, along with para-military forces, was issued orders to shoot-at-sight to uphold the almost relentless curfew – basically to block protests against the “continuing spiral of non-stop and indiscriminate killings'' of innocent civilians.

“The presence of the Army and security forces dominates the Valley and reinforces the deep-rooted angst of people. The reality is that democracy is under severe strain and is almost absent in many parts in the State, despite an elected government backed by the Centre holding the reigns of power in Srinagar,'' a statement issued by Act Now for Harmony and Democracy (ANHAD) and endorsed by civil society groups, intellectuals and individuals said.

The statement said the Centre and the State should come out clean and explain if this was indeed a democratic and constitutional method of handling a manifold and multiplying crisis in a highly sensitive region. Obviously, the establishment thinks that branding it as mere law and order problem and repression and killings would ‘calm down' the situation as sensitive and grim as that of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Absolute antipathy”

Expressing serious concern over the “absolute antipathy'' and lack of political initiative displayed by the Centre in response to the situation in the Valley, the group said the government should learn some lessons from history. People cannot be won over or suppressed at gunpoint. Certainly, the people of Jammu and Kashmir deserved a more rationale, humane, visionary and sensitive response from the Indian State, the statement said.