Kishtwar Riots - a Report

REPORT ON KISHTWAR RIOTS: 

Dr Jitendra Singh

· On the occasion of Eid this morning, a gathering of over thousand people belonging to majority Muslim Community gathered at the famous ground in the heart of Kishtwar town to offer prayers.

· Suddenly, gun shots began to be fired alongwith stone-pelting from the crowd and this led to panic and chaos.

· Several members of the minority Hindu community suffered injuries as a consequence and two deaths have been confirmed so far.

· In the ensuing anarchic situation, people who had gathered in the ground were joined by hundreds of other members from majority community who began to loot and torch the shops and business establishments belonging to minority Hindu community, in the process also causing injuries to minority community shopkeepers and owners of business establishment.   One of the famous markets called Amar Market has been totally gutted.

· Several workers of BJP have also suffered injuries who include party’s former Kishtwar District President Capt. (Retd.) Hukum Chand.

· Till late afternoon, there was total collapse of administration. Police and other civilians authorities were nowhere in sight.

· Although the administration claimed to have called in the army, on the ground its presence was limited to a single column of armed forces.

· Meanwhile, there was a total communal riot situation with members of majority community holding the town to ransom.  

.    Only late in the evening, Army patrolling came into effect.

.  All along, MoS Home Sajad Kichloo (from National Conference) had been camping at Kishtwar. Either he was incapable of handling the situation or was clandestinely in connivance to promote polarization on communal lines in a bid to consolidate his vote bank in a particular community as the election time draws closer.

.  Late in the evening, Deputy Chief Minister called an All-Party meeting asking for cooperation from the Opposition. In response BJP participants registered their dissent and walked out.

Role of MoS Home Sajad Kichloo

.     All along, MoS Home Sajad Kichloo (from National Conference),who is also the local MLA, had been camping at Kishtwar and was clandestinely in connivance to promote polarization on communal lines in a bid to consolidate his vote bank in a particular community as the election time  draws closer.

.Over the last one week,anti-national and terrorist posters have appeared around the residential house of Kichloo to which,he has.despite being Home Minister,turned a blind eye.

.There is enough evidence that Kichloo deliberately allowed/facilitated the mayhem to continue all through the day to appease the majority community vote-bank.

VHP high level delegation led by its J&K State President Shri Ramakant Dubey, Lilakaran Sharma, and Bajrang Dal National Convener Shri Rajesh Pandey left Jammu to visit Kistwar to access the situation and boost the morale of Hindus who are victims of violence. But administration apprehended and detain them at Patni.

‘Top since afternoon they are not allowed to go Kistwar or even return to Jammu. This kind of treatment to a high level delegation of Hindus in totally unacceptable and VHP is highly concerned about their safety,’ said VHP National Spokesperson Shri Prakash Sharma. He added that state administration is totally biased on one hand State Home Minister Sajjad Kichloo provoked the jihadists elements to attack Hindu but administration took no note of it but on other hand they apprehended and detain a Hindu Delegation which was going there to pacify the Hindus who all are victims of this violence. This clearly shows that administration is targeting Hindu leaders and activist and sheltering Jihadist elements. This behavior of administration will surely flare up the current tense situation.