Sikhs, Hindus violate curfew in Jammu to protest massacre

Though police and paramilitary troops had initially blocked the entry of about 5,000 mourners at Tawi bridge, they were allowed later to join the procession. Jammu-Kathua Range Director General of Police Dr S P Vala, however, said that the authorities had relaxed the curfew for the procession since it comprised mourners and not agitators.

Raising slogans against Pakistan and militants, many of the mourners burnt effigies of Pakistan’s military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf. They also raised slogans against the State and Central Government for their failure to protect the lives of innocent citizens of the state.

Later, a memorandum was presented to officials at Raj Bhavan by a delegation demanding dismissal of the Farooq Abdullah Government. Governor G C Saxena was not present at the Raj Bhavan.

The DIG and Jammu Deputy Commissioner said that curfew would continue and might be relaxed on Thursday depending upon the decision taken by higher authorities.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, accompanied by state DGP Gurbachan Jagat, airdashed here from Srinagar and was scheduled to hold a meeting with prominent citizens. Reports from Poonch said all political parties took out a peaceful procession in the town on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum to District Development Commissioner Khalid Hussain protesting the killings.

Reports from all other districts said complete bandh and chakka jam was observed in the towns and district headquarters. Irate mobs threw stones on the vehicle of the Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice near Rajbagh in Kathua district when it was on its way to Vaishno Devi. However, timely intervention of police saved the situation, a police spokesman said here.

The Government said Monday’s massacre of 35 Sikhs was not the result of any "serious intelligence failure" as militants had never targeted the community during the last 12 years of militancy in the valley.

Special Secretary in the Home Ministry T R Kakkar told reporters after his visit to the site of the massacre in Anantnag district that the Government was trying to make out whether the incident was an isolated one or an indication of a trend.

He, however, said the unity displayed by the Sikh community all over the country would have "sobering effect" on militants. Claiming that the Sikh villagers were not unfamiliar with the militants who used to visit them, he said the massacre demonstrated that "they were cheated". He said Lashker-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen outfits were behind the massacre, adding the survivors had heard them speaking in chaste Urdu and Punjabi.

Kakkar said the possible motive behind the massacre could be that militants, wanting to strike in a big way to coincide with US President Bill Clinton’s visit, chose Sikhs since the remnant 7,000 Kashmiri Pandits were well protected in the wake of recent attacks on them.

Another reason could be the failure of control and command within the militant groups who perhaps wanted to show that they could "act independently".

Stating that there had been no migration of Sikhs from the valley as a result of the massacre, Kakkar said the Government was mustering as much forces as possible to provide protection to most of the 135 villages inhabited by Sikhs in Kashmir. About creation of Village Defence Committees (VDCs), he said it was for the Sikh community members to decide. "We are trying to bring them around to have VDCs," he said.

Giving details of Monday night’s incident, he said the heavily-armed militants swooped on the village at around 8.45 pm and escaped within an hour into a nearby forest. He said only one of the victims was serving with the Intelligence Bureau and he was on leave.

Meanwhile, Union Ministers Chaman Lal Gupta and S S Dhindsa, who had been sent to the site, apprised Home Minister L K Advani over telephone about their assessment of the situation. Dhindsa told PTI they would submit a report to the Government in a day or two.

Protesting Monday night’s carnage a two-day general strike called by various secessionist, non-political and religious organisations began in the valley on Wednesday. Normal life in Srinagar and all other major towns of Kashmir was completely paralysed.

The strike was originally called by Hurriyat Conference to draw the attention of visiting US President Bill Clinton towards the Kashmir issue, but the massacre by unidentified gunmen forced various organisations, including the Hurriyat, to extend it by one day to protest the killing of the 35 Sikhs.

All shops and business establishments remained closed and all modes of transport were off the roads in the region, official sources said. The impact of the strike was so great that even the three-wheelers, which usually ply during strikes, were off the roads on Wednesday, the sources said.

Security forces have been deployed in full strength in sensitive areas to maintain law and order, they said. The State Government had also declared Wednesday a holiday to mourn the brutal massacre. Besides the Hurriyat Conference, Kashmir Bar Association, Kashmir Passenger Transporters Welfare Association, the National Front and Jammu-based Gurdawara Prabandhak Board have called for the strike.