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15 AUGUST
By:
J.P.GANDOTRA
Joy Returns in Kashmir
 The incident free
independency day celebrations were in fact incredible news for the
outside world as the day was always marred by the bomb blasts, rocket
attacks and firing incidents. But this time nothing of that sort happened
and large crowds from the civilian populations joined the gala occasion
thereby adding yet another
feather in the cap of the Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Earlier
this year, it looked as if the old days of intensified militant violence
were coming back with tourists coming from other states being the
particular target of attack. First it was the tourist bus from Gujrat
that was made target of grenade attack in which four tourists were
injured. Then a tourist bus from Bengal was targeted on July 11,
obviously to scare away the tourists coming to Kashmir. In the meanwhile,
attack on the Congress rally on May 21 sent shock waves as it left the
IGP Kashmir Zone K Rajinderen injured and many dead. The dare devil
desperado dressed as a policeman fired indiscriminately in all the
directions from the stage it self minutes before arrival of the Chief
Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad.
This
all was indicative to the fact that the law and order situation had gone
hay wire and many tourists who were to visit the valley had to cancel
their bookings in panic. This created a wind of disappointment in the
valley people who were expecting a good business in view of heavy influx
of tourists.
The
revelation of a plan to blow off ten planes flying between Britain and
USA added to the fear psychosis in the valley. The situation further
aggravated with American information that the terrorists might strike in
various parts of India in view of coming festivals of Rakhsha Bandhan,
Independence Day, and Krishan Janam ashtami falling on August 9, 15 and
16 respectively.
However,
security agencies here were already alert in view of the two months long
Amaranth Yatra that began on June 9. Consequently, the entire route from
Lakhanpur to Pahalgam and further to the holy cave was guarded by the
army and civil authorities and pilgrims were allowed to leave Jammu only
after getting a nod from the road opening parties. Moreover, the security
drill on occasion of the festivals and the national days has become a
part of our routine exercise. Even the Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad,
who heads sensitive Home Ministry was watching the situation meticulously
because of his earlier experience of May 21. During his visit to Jammu on
August 14 in connection with inauguration of the new building of the
Government College of Engineering and Technology, he made it a point to
call a meeting of the core group and reviewed the law and order
situation. On their part, the police and security agencies took all the
preventive measures to see that the militants could not play their bloody
game.
This
year the Independence Day celebrations were an entirely new experience
for the younger generation in the valley who earlier, could not move out
of their homes in view of the civil curfews and shut downs called by the
militants. Those who attended the national functions would be
apprehensive of the grenade or rocket attacks and many a time the
militants would succeed in disturbing these functions. People in Jammu
still remember the ghastly site of the bomb explosions in the MAM Stadium
on the fateful Republic day which left eight dead and forty five injured.
The Governor, KV Krishna Rao who was addressing the parade had to be
rescued with great difficulty from the site of the incident. After that, the
civil participation in such functions became thin even in otherwise
peaceful city of Jammu.
But
this time even in Srinagar, civilian enclosures of Bakhshi Stadium which
remained deserted since 1990 were full to their capacity as people in
large number arrived to witness the Independence Day parade and the
cultural program.
On
the occasion, the Chief Minister thought it appropriate to make fresh
initiative for peace in the strife torn state. He made it clear that onus
for peace lies with the militants and the separatists. He said the
separatists have stayed away from the two Round Table Conferences, but
hoped that they will join the third Round Table Conference as the
exercise was aimed at finding a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem.
He asked the militants to shun the gun and join the dialogue process. He
said that gun has not solved any problem it instead has brought miseries
for the people. The infrastructure of development has been completely
damaged during the last 17 years of militancy and the unemployment has
increased among the youths.
“Militancy has given a jolt to the development and progress,
damaged public infrastructure and sky rocketed the social evils. The
state which was once a frontline state in the field of development is now
lagging behind because of terrorism”.
 At Jammu, Transport Minister
and senior Congress leader, Mangat Ram Sharma took salute at the
mini-stadium. Braving scorching heat thousands of people including school
children were present. Addressing the parade, he joined issue with the
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and said , “Those who were raking up issues like self rule,
should keep in mind that the ‘self rule “ already existed in Jammu and
Kashmir where local bodies like panchayats, municipal committees,
municipal corporations and Assembly are democratically elected
institutions”.
The
day was also celebrated at various district head quarters where ministers
hoisted the national flag and took salute. The day had special
significance for Kupwara and Puwama districts that are still considered
as hot bed of militancy. This development has sent positive signals among
the militant ranks. Consequently, the Supreme Commander of Hizbul
Mujahideen, Syed Slahuddin has agreed for a dialogue with certain
conditions and indicated that it could lead to a ceasefire a development
that can have far reaching consequences in the days to come.
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