The Government has another worry too: a mammoth procession shouting separatist slogans in Srinagar city will reinforce that azadi is the new demand in Kashmir. The protests have already transcended the Amarnath land transfer row and now it is demand for azadi that can be heard on the streets — a return to 1990 — though without the guns.

The massive public outrage has also forced mainstream political parties to revise their stands. National Conference leader and MP Omar Abdullah said today that he “will resign if this current situation continues and the unjustified use of force on unarmed protestors continues”.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), meanwhile, passed a resolution expressing “distress over the excessive use of force against the protestors” and said “the killing of unarmed civilians and ransacking of properties could not be justified”.

The party pointed out that almost similar circumstances had led to eruption of the turmoil in 1990 and emphasised that the public outrage over so many killings and the brutal use of force was justified. “The Government of India must, without any further delay, reach out and engage all sections of the society, including the leaders of the Hurriyat Conference, in a productive dialogue to resolve the issues,” the resolution, which was adopted by top party leadership including former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said.

“The Government must, with political courage, revive the peace initiative launched by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vapayee and carried forward by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which had worked well till 2005.”

... contd.