Valley limps back to normalcy

With the death toll in the unabated violence reaching 23, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval cut short his Africa visit and returned to take charge of the situation. By Monday evening the suspended annual pilgrimage to Amarnath cave was resumed.

Doval, who was rushed home 24 hours early by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in view of the tense situation in Kashmir, is regularly taking stock of the developments in the Valley with officials. “If there are problems, there are solutions.

 We are quite confident and competent of finding solutions,” he said when asked to comment on the situation in Kashmir.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to hold a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to take stock of the J&K situation. 

The NSA did not elaborate but official sources expressed confidence the situation would be under control in 72 hours. “People of Kashmir are law-abiding and solidly against terrorism. They believe in peace, prosperity and development,” said a government official. 

At the same time, government sources asserted that those holding the gun and targeting civilians or security forces would be dealt with sternly. 

The Centre on Monday also reached out to the Opposition parties and briefed them about government operations to control crisis. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah briefing them about the development.

 Abdullah later said that he has told the Centre that violence in the Valley will not end until the security forces exercise maximum restraint and stop killing protesters. Congress president Sonia Gandhi however said that there could be no compromise with national security though she expressed anguish over death of people in police firing.

 Meanwhile, reports coming from government agencies in Jammu and Kashmir said that Amarnath Yatra had resumed from Jammu base camp on Monday afternoon after remaining suspended for two days. According to police sources, after being assured of the security of pilgrims, the fresh batch of pilgrims moved towards Srinagar from Bhagawati Nagar Jammu. 

According to base camp officials, over 5200 registered pilgrims were stranded at various transit points in Jammu. Earlier on Monday authorities made arrangements for dispatching all the stranded Yatris at base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam towards the cave. Till 12 Noon over 2400 left base camps for darshan while nearly 450 pilgrims had darshan at Holy cave.

 Government sources indicated there would be no let-up in force mobilization to counter the ongoing violence. Despite resumption of the Yatra, normal life remained paralysed due to curfew-like restrictions and separatist-sponsored strikes over the killing of Wani on Friday. 

Mobs torched a police station in Sopore and targeted the Indian Air Force base in Pulwama along with other security installations in Kashmir.  Stone pelting incidents were reported in some parts.

Meanwhile, given the ongoing mob violence, a contingent of 800 additional personnel from the central paramilitary forces was rushed to Jammu and Kashmir. The reinforcements are in addition to 1,200 personnel sent to assist the state police on Saturday. 

“Two persons have died in an incident of violence in Kulgam district on Sunday and have been identified as Feroze Ahmad Mir (22) and Khursheed Ahmad Mir (38),” a police official said in Srinagar. With this, the death toll in the violence has gone up to 23, including a policeman. Around 250 people were also injured.