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A concert for ‘peace’, an orchestra of restrictions

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 9/4/2013 11:58:09 PM

A plane chartered from Munich, 50 BMWs, security beef-up, roads sanitised; curfew may be imposed

SRINAGAR, Sep 4: The state government is likely to impose restrictions in sensitive areas of Kashmir on Saturday, the day Zubin Mehta’s musical concert is scheduled at Shalimar Garden here.
Hurriyat Conference (G) has called for a general strike on that day.
Divisional commissioner Kashmir Shailnder Kumar said that the administration would take every measure to ensure that the concert will go on peacefully. “If the need arises curfew can be clamped. We will assess the situation and in case trouble erupts somewhere curfew will be clamped. Every measure has been taken so that no untoward incident happens on the day. We are providing fool-proof security to the guests,” he said.
Meanwhile senior government officials that all arrangements for Saturday’s concert have been finalised .
A fleet of 50 BMWs has been kept on standby for the 150-strong contingent of musicians and their staff who will land in Srinagar on Thursday in a chartered plane from Munich. Roads from the airport to the Naseem Bagh guesthouse, where they will stay, are being sanitised. All arrangements for Saturday’s concert by Zubin Mehta, the India-born world famous conductor of Western classical music, are proceeding smoothly. The concert, to be held in the Shalimar Gardens in the foothills of the scenic Zabarwan Hills, will be telecast live in 24 European countries. Organisers say both the Bavarian State Orchestra and Mehta have waived their fees for the concert.
Roads from the airport to Shalimar garden are being sanitized with large contingent of police and CRPF personnel .
Additional deployment of police and paramilitary forces was made today. They had set up additional security check points, where the vehicles were being stopped and searched. Special vehicles have been imported from outside for the safe travel of the artists in Kashmir.
Meanwhile, terming the Saturday’s strike call given by Geelani as useless, former chief interlocutor, Dileep Padgaonkar said Zubin Mehta concert has no link with Kashmir dispute as it is a political problem that needs to be addressed by dialogue process.
“Associating a cultural program like Zubin Mehta concert with Kashmir issue is illogical. Cultural programs will not influence or harm the solution of Kashmir problem. Separatist have linked the concert with human rights violation and Kashmir dispute which is unfair. They should bear in mind that linking everything with politics is unjustified. Padgaonkar told KNS over phone from New Delhi.
Blaming Hurriyat leaders for giving a strike call over every issue he said, “To give a strike call every now and then is unwanted as people of Kashmir or fed up with these strikes and they desperately want peace in the region, “he said. “Neither strikes, nor violence can resolve Kashmir dispute. Dialogue is the only way which can solve these problems, “he added.
Asking the separatist leaders to come forward to hold dialogue for permanent resolution of the Kashmir issue he said, “They should shun hardness and come forward to hold dialogue for permanent resolution of the Kashmir issue rather than turning down the dialogue offers again and again,” he said.