Increasing unrest as geopolitical tension rises in India
After what appeared to be a return to calm in southern India following a series of strikes, on 16 September, over 12,000 police were deployed ahead of a general strike in the state of Tamil Nadu to protect against violence and attacks on Tamils in Karnatakca. India is now dealing with issues in the north in Kashmir and in the south, with the fallout from this week's earlier unrest. Adding to this, Pakistan and India have taken their Kashmir dispute to the United Nations, with India blaming Pakistan for alleged violations of human rights in Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Analysts are reportedly wondering whether India's geopolitical climate needs to be reevaluated.

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 15

Kashmir continued to remain paralysed for the 69th consecutive day today as one more youth succumbed to his injuries, taking the toll in the unrest to 82.

Rasiq Ahmed Bhat, 23, of Akhran Nowpora, Kulgam, who was injured during clashes in south Kashmir on September 5, succumbed to his injuries at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar today.

Curfew imposed on Eid-ul-Azha on Tuesday, was lifted from all parts of the Valley on Thursday. However, restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC remained imposed in some parts. Heavy deployments of the police and Central Armed Police Force remained in place to maintain law and order.

There were reports of minor clashes in various parts of the Valley, in which over a dozen people were injured. In the city centre, security forces carried out a search operation.

A tourist cafeteria was torched on the Srinagar-Anantnag highway at Awantipora last evening. The building suffered damages.

A police spokesman said the cafeteria was set ablaze by miscreants. The incident took place at a time when an additional Army brigade has been deployed in the four districts of south Kashmir — the epicentre of the current unrest.

The broadband Internet facility continues to remain suspended since Monday afternoon. Barring the BSNL postpaid services, all other mobile phone services remain suspended.

Meanwhile, the Army today denied allegations that a youth, Mansoor Ahmad Lone, was beaten to death by them in north Kashmir’s Sopore.

“The Army unequivocally rejects the allegations and some media reports insinuating at its involvement in the death of a youth in Sopore. Such conspiratorial machinations evince malicious designs of forces inimical to the cause of peace in Kashmir and clearly aimed at further vitiating the atmosphere by discrediting the security forces which are collectively striving for the well-being of the people,” a defence spokesman said.

On Wednesday, violent protests had erupted at Hard-Shiva village of Sopore after the body of Mansoor Ahmad was recovered from a stone quarry. Mansoor had gone missing on Tuesday morning and there were allegations that he was beaten to death by the Army. After complaint by locals, the police have already filed a case with murder charges against the Army.