Srinagar, June 29: Strongly condemning the unabated loss of life on the streets of Kashmir at the hands of ‘trigger-happy government forces,’ Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti has said Omar Abdullah government has succeeded only in turning the state into a land of licensed murder.
She said the death of three more young men, this time of Islamabad, comes as another great shock from a government that has forfeited any moral right to govern.
“The boy along with others who sustained serious injuries and are battling for life have received bullets in there heads even as there was no grave law and order problem in the area,” she said. She expressed deep grief at the irreparable loss of the families and said no words could console all the families that have lost their dear ones at the prime of youth.
The government threat to use army against protesters, Mehbooba said, is an extremely offensive act which was not likely to help defuse the situation. Commenting on the government intention to deploy army for containing the widespread unrest, she said that would be a remedy worse than the problem and is no option in the changed scenario.
Mehbooba said it appears the government has convinced itself of the situation having been reversed to 1990 when armed forces had to be deployed to fight thousands of militants.
“At a time when the discourse had transformed to withdrawal of troops from civilian areas and revoking the AFSPA in view of a vastly changed scenario, the government pronouncement sounds out rightly sinister and motivated. Instead of trying to widen the space for civil society institutions and democratizing the polity fully, the coalition government has adopted the dangerous route of regimentation which is against the very basis of a democratic system,” she said.
Describing as unfortunate the comments of the Union Home Secretary on a TV show yesterday, Mehbooba said the lack of appreciation of ground realities in the state was obvious from his observations. She said the people of the state had been forced to come to the streets by the inept and insensitive government foisted on them and the unarmed young men would not risk their lives in absence of a strong reason to protest in a manner that is not unknown to other parts of the country.
“Are protesters in Kashmir who demand right to life any different from similarly placed people in other parts of the country where even one death is enough reason for popular outrage?” she asked, expressing anguish at the highly inappropriate remark about “just one death.”
Mehbooba said the state government has abdicated its political role even as a  pretence which is obvious from its decision to create a new division in North Kashmir just for dealing with an agitation resulting ironically from over policing which has caused unfortunate deaths. The party has not been able to contribute politically at any level and is increasingly dependant on administrative tools, she said adding it seems to have taken a leaf out of the 1990 anti-militancy bandobast which is outdated unless Omar Abdullah wants the impression go around the world of Kashmir becoming unsafe again.
The PDP president said by converting entire Kashmir valley into a virtual prison, the government was not just turning its back on those who voted for it but is discrediting the entire democratic process.
“Omar Abdullah is inflicting a very heavy price on a people who had with high hopes reposed some faith in democracy” she added.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST