For almost a month now, Kashmir has been on the boil. Unfortunately, 20 lives, mostly of youngsters, have been lost in the street protests and the confrontation between the security forces and the civilian population. The attitude of the People's Democratic Party and its leader Mehbooba Mufti — who rejected the Prime Minister's appeal to attend the all-party meet convened by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah — leaves a lot to be desired. While it is legitimate for the Opposition to work against the ruling party, there are occasions when politicians need to rise above party politics and think of the larger interests of the people.
K.P. Luke Vydhian,
Bangalore
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Kashmir is moving from one crisis to another. The Valley, it seems, has been taken over by fanatics who have propagated mendaciousness and misinformation. The killing of civilians by the paramilitary forces and the State police has given rise to resentment against the Omar Abdullah government. The lack of a clear cut action plan and political will to tackle the violence has only worsened the situation. The Centre should initiate talks with the separatists if it wants to find a viable solution to the Kashmir issue. It should also work towards evolving an all-party consensus.
V. Thirumal Rao,
Mahabubnagar
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Calling in the army is no solution to the violence in Kashmir. The youth are becoming increasingly cynical and aggressive because of the State government's policy. Unemployment is one of the main reasons for the unrest.
Barkha Tamrakar,
Raipur
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The Kashmir violence is a cause for grave concern. Whenever a situation turns volatile, the governments in the States and the Centre press the panic button and call the army in to restore peace. Once the army restores normality, governance takes the back seat, and another cycle of violence starts. This has been the case in Kashmir since 1948. The reason why civilian governance is ineffective in Kashmir is both main parties view each other with suspicion.
Rettavayal S. Krishnasamy,
Chennai
