Jammu – Page 6

One sparrow does not herald a spring: PUDR

November 25, 2014 by Nasheman

Victims: Aasha Begam, mother of Shezad Ahmad with picture of her son. Next her Jabeena, wife of Shezad and his five year old son Shahid. Shezad was killed in the Machil Fake Encounter. Photo: Javed Dar

by D. Manjit and Asish Gupta

A rare instance of army convicting its own personnel for war crimes does not mean end of legal immunity enjoyed by the armed forces in what officialdom calls the “disturbed area”. That the government denies presence of armed conflict is of course in marked contrast to the reality on the ground where armed forces enjoy war-time legal immunity. Peoples Union for Democratic Rights has been arguing that the issue of justice in armed conflict areas in India is whether criminal court will exercise jurisdiction or security forces own court, over armed forces personnel for alleged crimes against civilians. Civilians have, in any case, no locus standi in armed forces court. Since the Supreme Court through its judgment on Pathribal case (2012) overturned every single tenet of the Constitution meant to protect the citizen against the abuse of power: it decided against the right to life; against fairness; against the right to equality before law; against the right to Constitutional remedies. It was therefore only another step in that direction that it overturned the foremost principle of law by empowering the accused agency to investigate, prosecute and judge its own crimes.

So given that the aggrieved find doors of criminal court closed to them and having no locus standi before armed forces court, thousands of cases of massacres, rapes, fake encounters, enforced disappearances, torture etc evade justice, perpetrators roam free and aggrieved nurse their wounds. To then project a single case of conviction by GCM as heralding whittling down of impunity is to rub salt in people’s wounds.

Seen in this light the conviction by the General Court Martial headed by Brigadier Deepak Mehra of five army personnel, including two officers, for April 29-30, 2010 fake encounter by luring and then killing three civilians to secure unit citation and cash reward, is a rarity not the rule. Machil killings acted as a catalyst for the 2010 agitation in Kashmir valley in which 126 persons were killed by the Indian security forces. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has publicly credited former Home Minister P Chidambaram and Lt General KT Parnaik who then headed the Northern Command for ensuring that in the Machil case justice was done.

The announcement of the conviction in Machil case is an exception which was used to mute criticism which arose because of the Budgam incident where trigger happy army personnel fired 126 rounds of bullets on five youths, killing two and injuring three others. There were 45 bullets wounds on the two who died. Demand for repeal of AFSPA and ending legal immunity for forces rose as assembly elections were announced and campaigning began. It was politically embarrassing. Now the GCM had convicted the five army personnel implicated in Machil killing two months back. But the process was not complete. Neither army’s confirming authority, in this case GOC-in-C of Northern Command, had confirmed the sentence, nor closure report filed with the Chief Judicial Magistrate as required.

Our apprehension that this was a PR exercise gain ground because in January army’s GCM had summarily acquitted a retired Major General, two Colonels, a Lt Colonel and a Subedar, belonging to 7 Rashtriya Rifles in the Pathribal case (2000), where CBI had investigated, gathered evidence and filed the charge-sheet. Recently, when Kunan Poshpora (1991) matter came up before the J&K High Court’s Srinagar bench the army, state and the Union government were one in opposing the re-opening of investigation into the notorious gangrape case carried out by personnel from army’s Rajputana Rifles. Thus 23 years after the commission of the mass rape and torture, and 18 months after the Kupwara court order for further investigations, the Indian State continues to deny criminality, and instead defames the victims.

PUDR is convinced that what victims of armed forces violence need are not empty gestures and platitudes but substantive and comprehensive change which brings to an end legal immunity enjoyed by armed forces personnel in “disturbed” areas.

D. Manjit and Asish Gupta are Secretaries of Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR).

No party may get majority in J&K, BJP to emerge on top in Jharkhand: surveys

November 22, 2014 by Nasheman

New Delhi: No party may get a clear majority in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, an opinion poll by a news channel has claimed while two other surveys on Jharkhand polls show that BJP is likely to emerge on top in the state.

As per the opinion poll conducted by Hindi channel – News Nation India – in Jammu and Kashmir, none of the political parties is likely to get a clear majority.

The survey by the channel projected that PDP is likely to get 31-36 seats and emerge on top in J & K, followed by BJP with 23-28 seats in the 87-strong assembly.

It gives ruling National Conference 7-11 seats and Congress 8-12 seats.

In Jharkhand, the same channel’s opinion poll predicts that BJP may get majority in the 81-member assembly with 42-46 seats followed by JMM 14 to 18 seats.

Another opinion poll, by ABP News-Nielsen projected that BJP and its allies LJP-AJSU are likely to get around 37 seats in Jharkhand, short of the majority-mark.

BJP on its own is likely to get around 30 seats in the state while Congress, RJD and JD(U) are together likely to get 23 seats, the opinion poll projected.

As per the ABP News-Nielsen opinion poll, more than 80 percent of respondents have rated the performance of PM Narendra Modi as very good or good.

(PTI)

Ten cases under AFSPA you should know about

November 18, 2014 by Nasheman

Photo: V. Sudershan, The Hindu

by Ravi Nitesh

As recently, a court martial awarded life term to 7 persons of Indian army after a court of inquiry in Machil encounter case. The infamous draconian act Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the impunity that it grants to security forces under which no prosecution can be held in any civil court without a prior sanction from Government of India has made the security forces a big hub for human rights violations. Besides Machil, there are many more cases, named and unnamed that need attention of government and judiciary because these cases are infamous for the atrocities performed by security forces.

Here are few infamous cases, listed about which we all should know, in view of our sensitization towards human rights and how there are difficulties in ascertaining the punishment to security personals who are surviving with impunity. It is also evident that these atrocities are still continued. Though here are the selected cases only, there are hundreds and thousands of cases like these where human rights violations reported in areas where AFSPA is imposed (North East region and J&K).

Operation Blue Bird (Oinam, Bishunpur District, Manipur): Operation Blue Bird was launched in 11 th July 1987 at Oinam of Manipur, where more than 30 naga villages covered and human rights violations including torture and even extrajudicial killings were done in addition to sexual harassment, theft and loot by security personals. In a petition filed by NPMHR, it was reported that many houses were burnt and dismantled, many women were tortured and people got killed in fake encounters. This operation was done for many days, whole area was kept isolated and in jailed condition where even civil administrative authorities were not permitted to move in. Cases were filed in courts, even registrar of a high court was denied to move in to record the statements, but so far nothing happened.

Kunan Poshpora (Kupwara District, J&K): On 23 rd February 1991, a search operation was conducted by Indian army in Kunan Poshpora village of Kupwara district. During this search operation, around 100 women including pregnant women were allegedly raped by army persons in front of villagers. No clear inquiry was made by government. Later in the year 2014, the police officer who first visited the village to record testimony told that he was threatened many times to not to make report public. Government tried its best to make this case as ‘baseless’ and on the other hand, Chief Justice of J&K high court in his findings told that he never saw such a case where even normal investigative procedures were ignored. A case is still running in Supreme Court of India on this issue.

Bijbehra firing (Anantnag district, J&K): On 22 October 1993, approximate 35 civilians got killed when BSF fired upon crowd during a protest. It was alleged that firing was unprovoked and done while the protest was peaceful. Magistrate inquiry and NHRC findings marked that the firing was unprovoked. J&K High Court also accepted the reports and findings and ordered for compensation to victims and their families. It is not clear if the case against BSF personals was sent to grant sanction for prosecution, but till now no such prosecution was done.

Malom (Imphal District, Manipur): It was 2 nd November 2000, when at Malom, a place near Imphal, Assam Rifles fired upon 10 persons at a bus stand and they got killed. In these persons, even a 60 year old lady and 18 year old bravery award winner also got killed. This case sparked the anger in Manipur. Protest was organized. Irom Sharmila started her fast with demand to repeal the act AFSPA. However, still nothing happened.

Pathribal (Anantnag district, J&K): On 25 th March 2000, at Pathribal in J&K, 5 civilians were picked up by Rashtriya Rifles and allegedly made as ‘foreign militants’ and as the main accused persons who were responsible for Chhatisinghpura case. Local people protest against this and calimed that these were civilians and were not involved in any such activity. Initially, no case was lodged as defined with the impunity granted under AFSPA but later when protest erupts, CBI was asked to investigate the case. CBI in its investigation submitted report and found guilty a Brigadier, a Lt Col, two majors and a subedar of 7 Rashtriya Rifles for a staged encounter where civilians were picked up from Anantnag district . These encounters were told as ‘cold blooded murders’. Supreme Court of India, with findings of CBI told Indian army in the year 2011 for court martial, (as sanction for prosecution under civilian law could not be provided under AFSPA) , however after two years army closed the case with no actions on accused personals.

Manorama Killing (Imphal Distrcit, Manipur): It was the night of 10 th July 2004, when Assam Rifles went to house of Manorama at Imphal, Manipur at night, tortured her at her house before her brother and mother, then picked her up. In the morning, dead body was found at Ngariyan Yairipok road with bullets injuries in her private parts. Massive protest was organized by people, even the infamous naked protest also happened but case under criminal charges could not be lodged. A local judicial inquiry was done but report was not made public. A PIL in Supreme Court of India is still going on but no verdict has been awarded yet.

Shopian Case (Shopian district, J&K): on 29 th May 2009 in Shopian (J&K), two women named Aasia (age approx 17) and Neelofar (age approx 22) went missing from their orchard on their way back to home. Their dead bodies found on next day morning. People alleged it as murder and rape by security forces who were camped nearby. Initially, no FIR was lodged and police told that postmortem report cleared injuries over private parts. However people believed that police report about postmortem is fake, protests were continued by people and later J&K govt formed a judicial panel. Under judicial inquiry, Forensic lab report established the gang rape of both the women. Besides few suspension and transfers from police department, nothing has happened in this case.

Mass Graves in J&K: In the year 2008-09, mass graves of approximate 3000 unmarked persons were found in Bandipora, Baramulla, Kupwara and other districts. It was believed that most of these graves may belong to people who has been killed and buried by security personals without any accountability under AFSPA. It was also believed that there may be persons who are reported as ‘disappeared’, as thousands of cases of disappearances are recorded. State Human Rights Commission confirmed that thousands of bullet ridden bodies buried in unmarked graves. Some 500 bodies are identified as ‘locals’ and not the ‘foreign militants’ as it was told by security agencies. In spite of all cry and hue by human rights organizations and local people, no concrete action has been taken yet from the side of government.

Machil Encounter (Kupwara district, J&K): On 30 th April 2010, three civilians of Baramulla (J&K) were shot by Indian army at Machil sector in Kupwara district of J&K and were framed as ‘foreign militants’. However, later with the protest and inquiry, it was established that these persons were civilians and were called by army to provide them jobs of porters and later were killed in a staged encounter. With the protest that erupted all over J&K as an anger of people and force used to suppress the protests, as many as 110 lives of civilians lost in the whole summer unrest of the year 2010. Indian army in its inquiry found them guilty and in November 2014 sentenced life imprisonment to two officers and five soldiers in the court martial for being guilty. It was told that these army personals murdered these civilians, painted their face black, had put the guns and told them ‘foreign militants’ to get rewards and remunerations under ‘anti-militancy operations.’

1528 cases of extra judicial killings: In a write petition filed in Supreme Court of India (SCI), it was told that during May 1979 to May 2012 , approximate 1528 cases belongs to extra judicial killings. Supreme Court picked 6 random cases from the list and formed a high power commission under Justice (retd) Santosh Hegde and two others members to inquire about these 6 cases. Commission submitted its report to SCI stated that all 6 cases are found cases of fake encounters where no criminal records found for these persons who got killed. Case is still in SCI.

Ravi Nitesh is a Petroleum Engineer, Founder- Mission Bhartiyam, Core Member- Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign. Follow on twitter: www.twitter.com/ravinitesh Blog: www.ravinitesh.blogspot.com

BJP Kashmir candidate opposes repeal of Article 370

November 13, 2014 by Nasheman

Srinagar: Hina Bhat, BJP candidate for the Amira Kadal assembly constituency here, Thursday said she does not support abrogation of Article 370 and expressed the hope the contentious issue would not figure in the party’s manifesto for the state elections.

When IANS asked Bhat whether she stood by her statement in local media that she would be the first to pick up the gun if Article 370 was abrogated, she said: “It is my personal opinion that Article 370 cannot be abrogated.”

“Yes, if it is abrogated, I will oppose it tooth and nail.”

She also questioned reports that abrogation of Article 370 would be part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) manifesto for Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls.

“Have you seen the manifesto? How do you say abrogation of Article 370 would be part of our assembly election manifesto?” she asked.

On Tuesday, while inaugurating the party’s media cell in Jammu, Jitendra Singh, minister of state at the Prime Minister’s office (PMO), told reporters: “All issues (including Article 370) which have been part of the BJP manifesto all these years will be part of the agenda. They will continue to be so.”

“The ideological issue (Article 370) which you are pointing at, BJP’s stand is very clear on it and it is known to you.”

“But in each election at a given time, you have to prioritise and you have to go by the aspiration of the people. The aspiration of the people as of now, in 2014, in November and December, when we go to polls, is to liberate this state and people from years and years of misgovernance, corruption and misappropriation of central funds,” the minister said.

(IANS)

Machil Fake Encounter: 7 Army personnel found guilty, sentenced to life imprisonment

November 13, 2014 by Nasheman

Srinagar: A court has convicted seven Indian Army personnel including two officers for involvement in the 2010 Machil fake encounter case in Kashmir.

The military court has handed out life imprisonment to all the men and they have been suspended from service.

The court found the troopers guilty of killing civilians and hatching a conspiracy to cover-up the case.

In 2010, three youth were lured to Kupwara region with the promise of job and were killed in a staged encounter by troops near the Line of Control.

The Army had dubbed them as ‘Pakistani terrorists’ who had infiltrated into Kashmir.

Following the discovery that the slain men were civilians, a court of enquiry was ordered and court martial proceedings had begun in January 2014.

Seven soldiers, two civilians and one member of territorial Army had been found guilty in the proceedings.

A colonel rank officer and a captain have been found guilty in the fake encounter.

The order comes as a relief for the families of victims who had demanded action against the Army officers. The case had triggered massive protests against the Army in the valley.

Chattegram Killings: Questions to ponder upon

November 8, 2014 by Nasheman

Hundreds join the funeral prayers of two youths killed in Army firing in Chattergam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district late Monday evening. Photo: Faisal Khan

by Abdul Majid Zargar

Kashmir’s tryst with peace has proved short lived yet again, thanks to the vacuous & barbaric killing of two young men Meraj-ud-Din Dar and Faisal Yusuf. As if the recent floods were not sufficient to devastate Kashmiris physically, emotionally & economically, the killing was thought necessary to notify them that besides God there is also a demon on earth to batter them.

According to Army’s official version, the men travelling in a car did not stop on being signalled to do so and hence were fired upon resulting in instantaneous killing of two young men & critical injuries to two other young boys. While acknowledging the incident as a case of mistaken identity, it has provided no answers to questions as to why bullets were not used to deflate the car tyres instead of being pumped on inmates or for that matter why the massive security presence in the area and vast communication network available with them was not used to catch them alive? It’s expression of regret over the loss of innocent lives is merely an attempt to cool down immediate tempers. The callousness of our Chief Minster can be gauged from his statement terming the killings as “avoidable”. He seems to have lost even the sense of describing an unfortunate incident.

Kashmiri Muslims have been mauled, cleaved and dehumanised by a system in which only the writ of security forces work. These trigger happy forces have the unfailing habit of creating reasons for mass disruption at regular intervals just to remind the natives that they are here and you cannot live in peace unless & until you are fully & truly subjugated. A bereft political leadership at the centre and a state leadership playing a mercenary role for them has neither the desire nor the will to investigate at the macro level the reasons behind the recurring episodes of mindless killings by the various wings of the police and the military, which by their regularity and timing must certainly be significantly more than the aberrations they are made out to be. We need to ponder over the question – whether the current killing of two young boys is a stage-managed military-politico operation to raise our anger level to a point of total & massive boycott of forthcoming elections which at present suits the ruling junta at the centre? After all there is a widespread belief that a military-politico operation in the form of massive firing at LOC was also a stage-managed event used to enhance the electoral fortunes of BJP in Mahrashtra & Haryana. Credence to that belief is lent by the sudden stoppage of firing after the elections were over and the rich electoral dividends it reaped in both these states compared to earlier reversals in Uttrakhand, Bihar, UP & Rajashtan etc. by-polls.

We are told that an enquiry has been ordered into the gruesome incident. We have also been assured that the enquiry this time will be fair, transparent & meaningful. But Kashmiris wonder that whether such assurances have any meaning in view of the past record of both the state & central Govt. Even where security forces have been held guilty of cold blooded murder, by none other than New-Delhi’s own premium investigating agency CBI, in Pathribal fake encounter case, the highest judiciary has come to its rescue & provided it a safe passage. After all national interest weighs more than the lives of ordinary Kashmiri Muslims in the scale held by blindfolded statue of Justice installed in Indian courts. Pathribal is only one instance & scores of such instances can be quoted to prove that Justice in Kashmir is and has always been, subservient to national interest of retaining Kashmir’s land mass with or without its masses.

About the reporting of this unfortunate incident by National media, less said the better. While most of the media, both print & electronic, by & large, ignored the incident, Times of India, a national daily of repute, reported that two “soldiers” were killed by “terrorists”. The news went viral on Social media inviting sharp comments by many that it is the only correct & truthful reporting. I take pity on reporting standards of this giant media house, incidentally a co-sponsor of “Aman ki Asha” along with another media house of Pakistan.

Great nations never try to correct the history, but only learn from it. India is doing exactly the opposite in Kashmir. Without learning anything from what Pandith Kalhana has said that Kashmiris may be conquered by love but cannot be suppressed by force, it is trying to re-write and change the Kashmir discourse through military pen & ink. A crass & compliant media is helping it to advance that false discourse. It needs to be reminded that greater the injustice, ferocious is the resistance. A physical act of resistance may be temporarily foiled, but the spirit behind it cannot be so easily subdued.

The author is a practicing chartered Accountant. Feed back at abdulmajidzargar@gmail.com

Army admits to killing two teenagers in Kashmir by ‘mistake’

November 8, 2014 by Nasheman

Mother of one of the slain youths consoled at her Nowgam residence by relatives and neighbours. Photo: Faisal Khan

Srinagar: The Indian Army took responsibility and apologised for the recent firing incident in Kashmir’s Budgam district in which two teenagers were killed and two other people were injured. Army men had fired at a Maruti car on Monday.

“Army fully takes responsibility for the civilian killings at Chattergam in Budgam district,” Lieutenant General D S Hooda, Army’s Northern Command chief said at a press conference on Friday.

Army said there will be a transparent probe into the firing incident.

“I assure that there will be a transparent probe in the firing incident,” he said.

Two youth – Faisal Yousuf, Mehraj-ud-din- were killed and two – Zahid Ayoub, Shakir Rehman – critically wounded when army men fired indiscriminately at a car these youth were traveling in. While one youth – Basim Amin- escaped unscathed from the car.

“See mistake has been done. Dos and don’ts of operating procedures are being constantly taught to troops. We will get to know about the incident fully once the probe is over,” Hooda said.

“We sincerely wish the incident should not have happened. Inquiry has been ordered. We have recorded testimony from 15 civilian and service witnesses. The testimonies are being examined. The inquiry will be completed within 10 days,” Hooda said.

He said that the Army shares the sorrow and grief of the families.

Following the outrage over the incident, army replaced 53 RR unit with 35 RR in Chattergam.

Army had earlier claimed that the car refused to stop at two check posts, the claim which was rejected by a government inquiry conducted after the incident.

Clashes and restrictions continue in the native place of these youth from last four days. All the youth are residents of Nowgam locality in Srinagar.

NHRC notice to defence ministry over Army killing of two teenage boys in Kashmir

November 7, 2014 by Nasheman

Hundreds join the funeral prayers of two youths killed in Army firing in Chattergam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district late Monday evening. Photo: Faisal Khan

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission Wednesday issued notice to the defence ministry and the Jammu and Kashmir police over the killing of two youths in firing by the Army, said a statement.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the commission issued notice to the secretary, ministry of defence, and the superintendent of police of Budgam district, calling for a response within two weeks.

Two teenage boys – Faisal Yousuf and Mehrajuddin Dar – were killed when army men opened fire on their Maruti car on Nov 3. The slain youth hail from Nowgam area and were friends. Although an army statement said, “The youths were travelling in a car and as claimed by the Army, they did not pay heed to signals to stop at the barriers set up by the security forces,” a government inquiry into the killings has contradicted the claims made by them that the car in which the youths were travelling tried to “sped away” when asked to stop in Chattergam.

As per the inquiry report, five persons were travelling in the car and they were all residents of Nowgam. An eyewitness account recorded by the committee states that the Maruti 800 car was stopped by the Army naka party and it “skidded off the road and hit a pole on the road side”.

“In the meantime one of the detachment of the naka party fired upon the vehicle, resulting into death of Burhan alias Faisal and Mehraj-ud-Din,” the report says.

Two more youths were injured in the firing incident who have been identified as Shakir and Zahid.

Ishfaq Ahmad, quoting his brother, Zahid, told KNS news agency that their car skidded as a speeding load carrier was about to run over them.

“The driver tried to save us and in the process our car ran into an electric pole. All of a sudden, Army started firing,” he said.

The fifth, Basim, emerged unscathed in the attack and ran away from the spot.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah Monday said the victims have “no connection” with the insurgency in the region and his party has demanded revocation of AFSPA, a draconian legislation which provides immunity to government forces from prosecution in civil courts.

Writer and poet Amin Kamil passes away

October 31, 2014 by Nasheman

Amin Kamil

Srinagar/Kashmir Reader: Prominent writer and poet Amin Kamil, who gave a new direction to Kashmiri ghazals and stories, passed away Thursday in Jammu. He was 90.

Born on August 3, 1924 in Kaprin village in south Kashmir, Kamil moved to Srinagar when he was a youth. He graduated in Arts from the Punjab University and took his degree in Law from the Aligarh Muslim University. He joined the Bar in 1947 and continued to practice law till 1949, when he was appointed a lecturer in Sri Pratap College, Srinagar.

Kamil was closely associated with the writers’ movement of that time and under its influence switched over from Urdu to Kashmiri as his medium of expression. He joined the Cultural Academy when it was set up in 1958 and was appointed the Convener for Kashmiri language. He later became editor for Kashmiri and edited the two journals of the Cultural Academy—‘Sheeraza’ and ‘Soun Adab’ with distinction for many years. He retired from the service of the Cultural Academy in 1979.

Kamil’s unique style of writing that blends irony, humour, social comment and politics in his stories as well as poems made him shine. He wrote in Urdu before switching to using Kashmiri as his medium of expression. Many Kashmiri poets were influenced by Kamil and tried to adapt his diction.

It’s believed that Kamil’s contribution to the field of fiction by his novel ‘Gati Manz Gaash’ (Light amidst Darkness), published in 1958, was inspired by the condition of Mohandas Gandhi in the aftermath of Partition where he found a ray of hope in Kashmir while the entire subcontinent was in darkness. This novel is the only book in Kashmiri literature which has records of the country’s historical events.

Apart from ghazals and short stories, Kamil wrote many plays and musicals for radio. His works majorly reflect on human life in Kashmir.

Kamil was the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award, the Padma Shri from the Indian government and Kashmir University’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Recently, a two-day seminar on Amin Kamil was held in Aligarh Muslim University in which Kamil was recognised as a writer of national importance, transcending the boundaries of the vernacular literature of Kashmiri. Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages published a special issue of its literary magazine ‘Sheeraza’ on Amin Kamil’s life and works which was released in Srinagar in the summer of 2011.

Kamil’s collection of short stories, ‘Kathi Manz Kath’ (Story within Story) published in mid-‘60s includes his most highly regarded work ‘Kokar Jang’ (The Cockfight). The Cockfight is considered as the most popular story in the Kashmiri literature. It has been translated into many Indian languages and has appeared in English translation in anthologies such as Indian Short Stories 1900–2000.

The Cockfight is prescribed in the school and university curriculum in Jammu and Kashmir. It has also appeared in Best Loved Indian Stories of the Century published by Penguin India in 1999.

Kamil’s demise is an irreparable loss to the field of literature.

Modi won’t visit any flood-hit area in Kashmir

October 23, 2014 by Nasheman

In this October 18, 2014 photo, protestors hold placards at Lal Chowk in Srinagar demanding Prime Minister Naredndra Modi’s intervention for rehabilitation of the Kashmir flood victims. Photo: PTI

Srinagar: Though Narendra Modi had said he would spend his time in Srinagar; ““sit and sip tea” in a relief camp as a gesture of solidarity with the flood victims on the occasion of Diwali” as reported earlier, however, according to details provided by local BJP leaders, the Prime Minister would hold indoor interaction only with some delegations.

“Modi Ji will interact with delegations of almost all political parties apart from civil society, traders, hoteliers and flood-affected people either at Raj Bhawan or SKICC. He is not scheduled to visit any flood-hit area in Srinagar,” BJP’s Valley-based leader Fayaz Ahmad Bhat told Kashmir Reader on Wednesday.

Modi arrived on Thursday afternoon in summer capital Srinagar after visiting troops at the Siachen glacier, the world’s highest battlefield in Ladakh region.

Modi was received in Srinagar by state Governor N N Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, senior civil personnel, police and security force officers at the airport.

“He will hold a meeting with army as well. The purpose of that meeting is to appreciate the role of army in rescue operation during the floods. On the evening, he will return to New Delhi,” Bhat said.

On Tuesday, Modi had announced on his Twitter handle that he is coming to Kashmir on Diwali to spend the day with flood-hit people. Both ruling National Conference and opposition PDP appreciated his “gesture” of coming here on this occasion. However, two factions of Hurriyat Conferences have called for a shutdown on Thursday and holding of peaceful protests against the visit.

Chairman Hurriyat Conference(M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Wednesday dismissed Indian Prime Minister Narednra Modi’s visit Kashmir on Diwali as a mere “publicity stunt.

Mirwaiz, during his visit to flood-hit areas, said “the theatrics of false mourning and tears were a hollow show of sympathy over the hardships faced by the flood-hit Kashmiris.”

He said that people were immensely suffering due to floods since past two months, rendered homeless, and had nothing to left to fend their families.

Security has been beefed up across Kashmir ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the valley on Thursday.

Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength and are conducting random checking of vehicles. Special checking points have been set up at various places in the city including entry and exit points as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.

This is Modi’s fourth visit to Jammu and Kashmir since taking charge as Prime Minister in May.