SRINAGAR: Atleast 500 incidents of protest have broken out in Indian Kashmir since NewDelhi revoked its autonomy more than three weeks ago, a senior governmentsource said yesterday, as authorities promised to create 50,000 jobs in therestive region. The Himalayan valley is under a strict lockdown, imposed hoursbefore India's decision to bring Kashmir under its direct rule. Movement isrestricted and phone and internet services have been cut.
The lockdown, aswell as the deployment of tens of thousands of extra troops to reinforce the500,000 based in Kashmir, was ordered amid fears of unrest in a region whereseparatists have waged an armed rebellion against Indian rule since 1989. Butprotests have broken out, including in the main city of Srinagar, with policeusing pellet guns and tear gas to disperse the crowds. A senior governmentsource told AFP at least 500 protests and incidents of stone throwing haveoccurred since August 5, with more than half taking place in Srinagar.
Nearly 100civilians have been injured so far, with a further 300 police and more than 100paramilitary troopers hurt, the official added. "The number of protestscould be much higher and bigger without the blockade in force," theofficial told AFP, adding that "anger and public defiance is constantlyrising". "Efforts for easing the conditions are made all the time butnothing seems to be working for now. There is nervousness spreading in thesecurity establishment."
'Every life isvaluable' -
Jammu and Kashmirgovernor Satya Pal Malik said yesterday the lockdown was necessary because"every Kashmiri life is valuable to us". "There has been nocivilian casualty, only the few who got violent were injured, these also havebelow the waist (non-fatal) injuries." AFP has spoken to relatives ofthree people they alleged died due to violence from the security forces,including a man and woman who died in separate incidents after tear gas wasreleased near them, and a teenager who drowned while being chased by police.
Malik added thatthe decision to revoke autonomy-which will allow non-residents to buy land andapply for government jobs in the region-would "change the face of Kashmirin six months". He vowed to preserve the "identity, language, cultureand heritage of Kashmir", which locals fear will be diluted if there is aninflux of migrants from other parts of India, and create 50,000 jobs in thenext few months.
The lockdownwould be eased gradually, although internet services will continue to besuspended for some time, he said, stressing that the web was being used byagitators. The Supreme Court yesterday gave the government one week to respondto a legal challenge calling for an end to the communications blackout to allowfor media reporting. The court also said several petitions challenging theremoval of the constitutional clause on Kashmir's autonomy would be heard inOctober.
Defiance
In Srinagar,residents are refusing to resume their normal lives in an act of defiance, anAFP reporter said. While authorities have reopened schools, students havestayed away. Told to keep open all day or "don't open at all", someshops have remained shut. At least 4,000 people have been detained across thevalley, security and government sources told AFP last week, with a few releasedsince then. Another senior government official said yesterday that at least1,350 protesters-described by police as "stone-pelters"-have beenarrested since August 5.
Meanwhile inMuslim-majority Kargil, activists said the town was observing a "completeshutdown" today to protest against its separation from Kashmir. NewDelhi's move will split the state into two territories, with Kargil becomingpart of the Ladakh region and Jammu and Kashmir forming the second territory."The authorities promised to negotiate with us since the majority of thepeople in Kargil want to stay with Jammu and Kashmir," Sajjad HussainKargili said. But no officials had met with local leaders so far, he said.- AFP