Civilian killings widely condemned: Separatists blame forces; mainstream says killings can’t be justified

Srinagar, Apr 01: Separatists and mainstream parties have expressed grief over the killings of civilians in the day-long protests and clashes in Shopian.
In separate operations, the Army, police, and CRPF, killed 11 militants on Sunday. The strikes were carried out as counter-insurgency operations in three different areas in South Kashmir in which three Army soldiers and two civilians were killed.
Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that as long as the government of India will continue to address Kashmir issue with aggression, Kashmiri will continue to die or be forced to pick up the arms.
“As long as Govt of India addresses the political and humanitarian problem of Kashmir militarily and through force Kashmiri will continue to die or be forced to pick up arms for resistance and the onus for this and its repercussions is completely on them.” Mirwaiz wrote on micro-blogging website Twitter.
Mirwaiz in another tweet said that “More havoc for #Kashmiris who are at the receiving end of execution and repression as the toll of civilians brutally killed has risen to 2 while 8 militants have been martyred, 100s of people injured and many hit in the eye by pellets used by Indian forces in #Shopian.”
Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz while condemning the killings said that the aggression can lead us to nowhere and things can’t hide forcefully. The government should understand that there is no other option than to hold talks.
Senior CPI(M) leader and MLA Kulgam M Y Tarigami while expressing his grief, said Killings can’t be justified. It is a condemnable act and tragic part is when unarmed youth is being killed.
“The tragic part is that the pellet guns are still being used that are responsible for blinding many people. I express my deep sorrow with the families.”
Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) on Sunday warned that if the situation was left unaddressed it can prove disastrous as nobody can control it then.
“If the Kashmir situation is not addressed properly it has every potential to go out of control of everybody,” Moulana Tari said adding if the killing spree does not end immediately the circumstances can go anybody’s beyond control.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association Srinagar in a press statement have urged International community to take serious notice of the happenings in Kashmir.
The Bar Association also requests the United Nations and the members of the Security Council including the International Criminal Court, OIC and other human rights organizations of the world, to take cognizance of the matter and besides getting those, who are responsible for the killing of innocent Kashmiris prosecuted, get the resolutions of Security Council on Kashmir implemented, without any further loss of time because the non-implementation of those resolutions is a sad reflection on the very functioning of the United Nations and the Security Council.
While expressing its solidarity with the families of those killed on Sunday said the Bar Association requests its members to abstain from court work on April 2.
“We register our protest against the innocent killings and the reign of terror let loose by the occupational forces in the State of J&K.”
While expressing shock over killings in Shopian and Islamabad, districts of South Kashmir, independent Lawmaker, and Er Rasheed said that every encounter is a set back to the efforts of restoring peace and normalcy in the state.
The spokesman quoted the Er Rasheed saying “those expecting return of normalcy by killing militants are living in fool’s paradise and are misleading entire India. The killing of every militant not only increases alienation but makes Kashmiris realize that Delhi does not want any political solution to the Kashmir dispute but seems adamant to deal the situation with iron hands.”