The Government of Jammu & Kashmir must without any delay crack down on the perpetrators of the violence that broke out in Kishtwar on Friday. But for such an action to be effective, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah must abandon his ‘balancing act’ and specifically target the villains of the act, while not allowing other participants to go free.
All available information suggests that the violence was sparked by anti-India elements looking to foment trouble. After offering prayers on Eid, a procession carrying Pakistani flags and chanting ‘azadi’ slogans marched towards the town's Hindu-majority Kuleed mohalla, where miscreants pelted stones and assaulted residents. When the latter resisted, the situation snowballed into a violent flare-up. Mobs went on a rampage burning shops, homes, buses and cars, even as the local administration struggled to respond. Soon, the violence spread to other parts of the State, and by Saturday, it had claimed the lives of at least two persons and injured scores more. The Army was eventually called in, an indefinite curfew imposed and a high-level inquiry initiated. While it has been reported that the violence on Friday was the result of members of both communities taking to the streets, this must not overshadow the fact that the riot was provoked by separatists. These elements must be hunted down and put behind bars. There is no point in apportioning equal blame to both sides where there is clearly one group of provocateurs.
Unfortunately, it seems like this is what Mr Abdullah is already doing. When senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj urged him on Twitter to look into the situation that was fast spinning out of control in Kishtwar, the Chief Minister's first response was that “injuries and damage has taken place on both sides”, even though Ms Swaraj had said nothing about any specific side, community or group. This prompted the Opposition leader to make clear that she was “not referring to any side”. She added, “Every person injured there is a Hindustani.” In response, Mr Abdullah pointed out to rumours of mutilation that were doing the rounds to underscore his point that the violence was designed to inflame communal passions. The Chief Minister is absolutely correct in his assessment; Friday's rioting was yet another attempt by anti-India elements to destroy the fragile peace that has only just struck roots in the State. But he is deeply mistaken if he believes that this problem can be solved by blaming everyone equally and holding no one responsible. He will also be equally mistaken if he chooses to give any credence to the stories churned out by the likes of Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani, that Hindu counter-insurgency village defence committees were responsible for the violence.
Mr Abdullah should also look into why Kishtwar's civilian administration was caught off guard on Friday as a result of which miscreants could inflict large-scale damage. Kishtwar has a history of communal violence — think of the 2001 massacre that killed 17 Hindu villagers, for instance — and there have also been recent reports that Pakistan-based terror groups such as the lashkar-e-Tayyeba have sought to set up their networks in this town. In Kishtwar, terrorism and communalism have long mixed to create a social divide. It mustn’t widen.