For minorities in the Valley, Peace is a fearsome word

For minorities in the Valley, Peace is a fearsome word
MUZAMIL JALEEL

SRINAGAR, NOVEMBER 22: Talk of peace and fear grips the minorities in Kashmir. Each time there has been an effort to break the ice in the valley, unidentified gunmen take on the soft targets -- the Hindus or Sikhs to stall the process.

Interestingly, there is an element of mystery always shrouding these attacks. The Government outrightly blames militants but the separatist outfits hold security agencies responsible for the acts. According to police, there are around 2,500 to 3,000 Kashmiri Pandits still living in the Valley while the population of Sikhs is around 70,000.

Today, when unidentified gunmen shot dead four Sikh truck drivers after pulling them out of their vehicles, it has not surprised anybody here. ``We fear even a mention of peace because it creates havoc in our lives,'' said Somnath Koul, a teacher in north Kashmir. ``In fact, the routine violence is normal for us. It is for everybody but whenever there is an attempt to end violence axe falls on us. We are the softest targets here,'' he said.

Prem Singh, a noted Sikh intellectual in the Valley, says the community was in shock. ``All of us are living in violence but such calculated moves to attack a particular community at a particular time makes it a dangerous conspiracy to create a communal wedge,'' he said. ``Though we are now prepared for such things, it has spread a lot of scare.''

Singh said he received dozens of phone calls from people from his communitysince early morning to know what had happened. ``How could I respond totheir queries as nobody knows what is happening and who is responsible forsuch heinous acts,'' he said.

Hurriyat chairman, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat called it an act worth strong condemnation. He too asked as to why does it happen on a particular time.``It has a reason. It happened in Pahalgam. It happened in Chittisinghporaand also at Brakpora. The Pandian Commission, which they (the Governmentconstituted) probed and made many a things clear,'' he said.

``The perpetrators of this crime will also be exposed like that of Panchalthan and Brakpora,'' he said. Hinting at the Government hand behind the killings, he said, ``the highway is not an ordinary road. It is guarded by the security forces round the clock. How will such an act be committed on the highway?'' he asked.

The Kashmiri Sikh leadership too believes that there is an element of mystery in these attacks. ``We are trying to live with this reality now and hope the situation will not escalate,'' said Charan Singh Bali, president of the joint forum of all Sikh organisations in Kashmir. ``The Government had announced to probe the Chittisinghpora massacre but nothing seems to move on that front after Justice Pandian refused to head the commission,'' he said.

The Government on its part also feels completely handicapped. ``How will we protect individuals. It is an impossible task,'' said Inspector General of Police, Kashmir range, Dr Ashok Bhan. ``Today our attention is towards the national highway because they have struck there. But there are 50,000 such soft targets here. How will you protect each and every civilian from the minority community?'' he said.

Bhan said there were 150 special police posts to provide protection to the minorities in the Valley with more than 1,000 men on round-the-clock duty. ``But tell me how can they help. We can provide a six men strong contingent to a village with 100 families. If militants want to strike in the dark of the night what can they do. They will retaliate and open fire in air. It becomes more difficult because there is no electricity in the villages generally,'' he said.