By Mudassir Kuloo
Srinagar, May 07: A day after government forces killed a Kashmir University’s Assistant Professor along with four other militants and five civilians, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Monday claimed that ‘poor youth’ were picking up the guns and stones.
Talking to reporters after according guard of honour on the opening of Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, she said: “In most cases, both stones and guns are in the hands of children belonging to poor families. We have to find a middle path to ensure that these boys do not get killed and our army men and policemen also do not get killed.”
The Chief Minister made the claims that poor youth were indulging in stone pelting and picking up guns a day after Kashmir University Assistant Professor, Dr Rafi Bhat, reportedly from a well-off family of Ganderbal district, was killed in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
“The tragedy in which five civilians were killed yesterday is very painful. I appeal to government of the country to find a way for ending this bloodshed. A way out needs to be found so that our children, army soldiers and policemen are not killed,” the Chief Minister said, reacting to Sunday’s militant and civilian killings.
She also appealed to the people of Kashmir, especially the parents, to value life. “Allah has sent us to Earth to live a good life. Islam doesn’t permit us to embrace death at this [young] age,” she said.
On Sunday, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister had expressed anguish and grief over the death of the civilians after the Shopian encounter, urging Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre to show “element of compassion and empathy as required by the present day situation”.
“It sounds very depressing to note that our state is losing young lives, to the unending cycle of violence, who could otherwise be utilised for a positive contribution to the state. Today’s deaths have brought a stark fact to fore that gun, either way of a militant or that of security forces, is no solution for resolving issues,” Mehbooba said.
She said political issues need political intervention. “The three decades’ long violence in the state is a testimony to the fact that guns from either side cannot ensure peace, but a compassion driven reconciliation process based on mutual respect surely can.
“In this regard, I appeal the national leadership of the country to show the element of compassion and empathy as required by the present day situation here and display the statesmanship to get J-K out of the quagmire of killings by engaging in a meaningful dialogue in the state. The sooner it happens, the more we can get our state out of the vicious cycle of killings and destruction,” she said.
Major clashes broke out between civilians and security forces in Shopian after the latter gunned down five militants, including Hizbul Mujahideen top commander Saddam Padder and a fresh recruit, an assistant professor from the Kashmir University, in an encounter that went on for over six hours.
The five slain militants were identified as Saddam Hussain Padder, Bilal Ahmad Mohand, Adil Ahmed Malik, Tauseef Ahmad Sheikh and Mohammed Rafi Bhat, a PhD scholar and an assistant professor in the Kashmir University.
