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Posted on 03 January 2012 |
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| CURRENT AFFAIRS |
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JAMMU & KASHMIR |
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Power protest death: “Inexcusable, excessive use of force”
J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah consoles bereaved family, condemns attack
Riyaz Wani
Srinagar
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Omar Abdullah |
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In a swift attempt at damage control, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday met the family of the youth who was killed on Monday in the CISF firing incident during the protest against the shortage of power in the North Kashmir district of Baramulla. Abdullah flew from Jammu to Boniyar and walked two kilometers to Sakin Brinyat to meet and console the bereaved family and assure them justice.
Standing among the villagers, the CM dubbed the killing as an “inexcusable, excessive use of force”. He said the CISF had acted recklessly and termed their action as “tantamount to murder”. “There is no other way of defining this incident,” said Abdullah. “This will have to be treated not as a case of self-defence, but excessive use of force”.
Abdullah said there was no excuse for killing people for demanding basic services. “Do you shoot protesters in other parts of the country because they are asking for electricity? No, you don't,” declared Omar. Criticising the CISF, the CM said the anger among people was genuine but the CISF’s response was excessive.
While the killing has evoked widespread condemnation in the Valley, the state government’s prompt action has gone some way to pre-empt what was expected to tip the Valley off into a fresh crisis. Incidentally, separatists, so far, have stopped short of calling for a shutdown which is otherwise their stock response to such tragedies.
On Monday, one person was killed and two others injured after the CISF posted at the NHPC’s Uri power project opened fire at a 500 strong crowd demanding regular electric supply in the area.
The state government has already lodged an FIR against CISF at Police Station Boniyar. Five persons—Sub-Inspector Krishan Thapa, Havaldar Dwarka Prashad, Constable Raju Ranjan, Constable Ajay Singh and Constable Mohammad Shabir—have been arrested.
J & K’s Home Secretary B R Sharma said the government has taken up the matter with the Union Home Ministry and lodged serious protest and demanded stern exemplary action against the delinquent officers.
Sharma clarified that the CISF, whose troops opened the fire, is not part of the Counter Insurgency Grid Operating in J&K and have been deployed by the NHPC exclusively for the security of their installations across the state.
The NHPC runs four power projects in the state—Uri-I, Salal, Dulhasti and Sewa-II—with combined power generation capacity of 1660 MW. The company is also going to commission more than seven power projects in the near future, some of them as joint venture with state government. J&K gets only 12 per cent power from the NHPC projects as royalty.
Riyaz Wani is a Special Correspondent with Tehelka.
riyaz@tehelka.com
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