Legitimising regimentation

Kashmir Times. Dated: 4/22/2017 10:25:59 AM

Kashmir situation calls for an urgent resolution of all outstanding issues for early restoration of peace normalcy

Amid closure of all colleges and universities for almost a week and removal of Pulwama College Principal after protests by the students appears to be short-sighted decision of the PDP-BJP coalition government. Punitive action against the head of the college also goes on to prove that the state government is legitimising the entry of police and para-military forces into the educational institutions in Kashmir valley. This also proves beyond any point that the state government has neither the control over its forces or the situation that has been witnessing ups and downs during the past almost three decades in general and last one year in particular. The only act of omission of the Pulwama College Principal was to stop the security personnel from entering the premises when the teaching work was going on peacefully and in an orderly manner. His plea that presence of security personnel at the gate or the premises might anger the students had already fallen on deaf ears. The presence of security men in the college campus which is a pointer towards regimented mindset of the powers that be naturally attracted the attention of the students, who started protests inside the premises before the situation went out of control due to firing by one of the personnel that resulted in the death of a student and injuries to many others. Unfortunately, nobody from the police or ruling establishment made an attempt to gauge the situation that was developing in the past few months in the valley, where law and order situation could easily go out of control as it has happened in the past one year. The authorities have to realise that the pent anger and deep stress on the security personnel has already pushed the Kashmir people to the wall and landed them in a situation which is only waiting to explode at any time with slightest of the provocation. Under these circumstances, the administration under the civilian government has to tread every step very carefully and cautiously so that situation does not take any turn which is not only worse for the people but also for the ruling dispensation. There appears to be complete breakdown in the coordination among various agencies which are undertaking counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The natural corollary to the killing of a students and subsequent police firing incidents has been more protests from students in all the colleges and universities across Kashmir valley. In fact, the administrative response to the entire situation was more violence and regimentation and commission of more excesses on the students, who were holding peaceful demonstrations insides their institutions only to be provoked when the police and para-military forces resorted to teargassing and firing resulting in injuries to more students further aggravating the situation. Sadly, teargassing the students inside the colleges particularly the women's college added more fuel to the fire that was already sweeping the entire valley. Instead of resorting to violent means to suppress the protesting students, they should have been allowed to express their solidarity with the Pulwama College students and protest against entry of security personnel in the campus. This step would have cooled down the anger of the students instead of forcing the state government to order closure of all colleges and universities in the valley. Somehow, the protests by students also spread to some parts of Jammu region where students boycotted classes, held protest demonstrations and blocked the highways. Instead of handling the situation in humanistic manner, use of excessive forces only aggravated the situation not only in the valley but also some other parts of J&K. Everybody in the state and the centre has candidly confessed that situation in J&K was not completely under control that is why all educational institutions except for high schoolas have remained closed for almost a week now. The entire situation in J&K calls for an engagement of civil society, human rights activists and all stakeholders to cool down the tempers and help restore peace and normalcy. The engagements are also necessary for restoring the faith of the people in the civilian government and hold the politicians accountable for their acts of omission and commission in the state. There has to be a broad-based framework for working in this direction to win over the people and resolve all outstanding issues as Kashmir is a very complex issue calling for an urgent resolution.

 

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