The Jammu & Kashmir Government seems to have played a cruel joke on the members of the minority community in Kishtwar on Wednesday by claiming that the peace deal has been brokered between the members of the two communities in the aftermath of violence and rioting on August 9 during a joint meeting with members of all-party delegation.
However, the claims made by the State Government were immediately challenged by the members of the minority community in Kishtwar.
Interestingly, the leaders of the BJP and the Panthers Party had earlier boycotted the third day proceedings of all-party delegation meeting in protest in Kishtwar.
The all-party delegation camping in Kishtwar since Monday held a series of meetings with members of both the communities and listened to their charter of demands.
Claiming a breakthrough, the State Government’s spokesman in a written statement on Wednesday claimed, “Minister for Medical Education,Youth Services and Sports Taj Mohi-ud-Din had broken the deadlock at a joint meeting of leaders of Hindu and Muslim communities and later led a peace march which was attended by the members of the two communities.”
“The peace meeting was held in a very cordial manner with both sides stressing for restoring peace and harmony in the district. All the issues raised by the leaders of two communities pertaining to compensation, lifting of curfew, check on anti social elements etc were resolved amicably,” the statement claimed.
Contradicting the claims made by the State Government’s convener of the Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Kishtwar Ashok Kumar Parihar told The Pioneer over phone, “No joint meeting took place in Kishtwar on Wednesday. None of the members of the Sanatan Dharam Sabha, under whose banner the victims of Kishtwar violence had interacted with the leaders of the all-party delegation, attended the joint meeting and participated in the peace march in Kishtwar.”
Parihar also claimed that the State Government with the help of police and a few leaders belonging to the ruling party had pressurised three-four local businessmen to join the peace march which was attended by the members of the majority community along with State Government’s representatives and left over leaders of the delegation. “We categorically deny no joint meeting of both the community members was held and no one from the Sanatan Dharam Sabha attended the peace march,” Parihar clarified once again.
A senior member of the minority delegation told The Pioneer, “If the State Government’s claims that a joint meeting was organised where they were able to broker a peace deal they must come out with the videographic evidence of the same and statements made on record by the State Government’s representatives where he has agreed upon to our demands.” The minority community members claimed, “The State Government has played a cruel joke on all of us. Instead of agreeing to our demands the State representative failed to give us even as assurance that they would fulfil our demands for adequate compensation and removal of tainted police officers who failed to come to our rescue. Meanwhile, following these deliberations the district administration lifted the curfew imposed since August 9.
Deadlock persisted over these demands The minority community had demanded adequate compensation not less than `25 lakhs for those whose shops were looted and gutted in the violence.
They had demanded CBI probe in the Kishtwar violence and FIR against MoS Home Sajjad Kitchloo. Removal of DIG Doda-Kishtwar range and DySP Hq. The members of the majority community demanded that the BJP youth general secretary Sunil Sharma should be arrested and DIG Doda-Kishtwar range and DySP Headquarter should not be removed.
The members of majority community also demanded that the Village Defence Committees (VDCs) should either be disbanded or the majority community too should be allowed to form separate VDCs.
The majority community demanded that if compensation at an increased rate was granted to those whose shops were gutted or damaged in violence, then the victims of 2008 violence too should be paid compensation at par with them for their damaged or gutted shops.