Tag: kashmir attacks

Kashmir: E-Commerce Disrupted With Crackdown on Two-Wheelers Ahead of Amit Shah’s Visit

The recent spate of civilian killings in the region has seen security stepped up in general. But now, the arbitrary seizures of two-wheelers in and around the city are crippling the e-commerce industry.

Srinagar: Ahead of Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, security forces have launched a crackdown on motorbikes, disrupting e-commerce and local businesses which depend on two-wheelers to keep their services afloat.

According to reports, the J&K Police started the crackdown last week, seizing several hundred two-wheelers across the capital, Srinagar, in a move to put the brakes on a spate of civilian killings that have shaken the Valley this month.

Also read: Kashmir: Two More Killings Mark Step Up of Offensive Against Non-Locals

Sheikh Samiullah, co-founder of Fastbeetle, a Srinagar-based e-commerce start-up based which employs around 100 people, said the company has halted delivery services after police started arbitrarily seizing bikes in the city.

“We were trying to recover from the shock of the Centre reading down Article 370 and the COVID-19 pandemic. But our law and order is crumbling us again and again,” he said, adding that the police seized six bikes involved in the company’s delivery operations, even though they had valid documents.

“One delivery executive, who is the sole breadwinner of his family, literally broke down in my office after his bike was seized, but I couldn’t help him,” Samiullah said. Fastbeetle, has been recognised as a start-up by the Union government’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

Dozens of traders in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, the commercial centre of Kashmir, said that many of their employees who commute on two-wheelers have been unable to show up for work since last week due to the fear of a police crackdown.

Security forces stop a motorcyclist in Srinagar. Photo: Faizan Mir

“Those who do show up arrive late and they also have to leave early. This has hit the business badly. The situation was getting better but it now seems to be going from bad to worse,” said Abdul Majid, who runs an apparel showroom in Srinagar.

Aqib Ahmad, a 25-year-old mobile accessories hawker from Srinagar, was on his way to set up his stall in Lal Chowk on Saturday morning when a group of J&K Police personnel signalled for him to stop.

“I thought they will ask for documents. Instead, they told me to hand over the bike. I tried to reason [with them] but one of the cops manhandled me and snatched the bike. No seizure challan was given. I later got to know that they have taken it to police station,” he said.

“It shows complete breakdown of law and order,” Ahmad rued. “My bike is an extra pair of limbs for me. I don’t know what I would have done if anyone in our family had fallen sick or there was some other exigency.”

Burhan Bhat, a journalist, narrated his ordeal on Twitter. The Srinagar-based independent reporter said a group of policemen stopped him on Wednesday near Soura on the city’s outskirts and snatched the keys of his two-wheeler.

“They ordered me to go home and said some senior police officer has ordered us to get exactly 70 bikes till evening. ‘It’s called Gunda Raj,’ one of the policeman yelled as I reasoned. He took my cell phone after I told him that I’m a journalist,” he said in a series of tweets.

Bhat went on to note that the police refused to provide a reason for seizing his bike and that, while they allowed him to leave after a prolonged argument, other people remained pleading with the.

A senior police official said that some seized bikes had been handed over to their owners after their registration papers were verified while some are still in custody. “We will return them after verifying their documents,” the official, who is not authorised to speak with media, said.

Many anguished youngsters who spoke with The Wire claimed that the police officials who seized their bikes told them they would be returned after October 25, when the home minister’s three-day visit to J&K is to wind up.

This claim was corroborated by at least three people who spoke with The Wire.

“They (police) told me not to bother too much and that my bike will be released only after October 25,” said a youngster who works at a garments showroom in Srinagar, wishing anonymity for fear of reprisal by officials.

Security forces stop a motorcyclist in Srinagar. Photo: Faizan Mir

Sheikh Zahoor Qari, president of Kashmir Courier Association, said that about 4,000 youngsters have been directly employed by 35 courier companies such as Bluedart, Trackon, DTDC and the like or their Kashmir-based affiliates. He said there are thousands of other youngsters who work on commission or on a part-time basis to earn extra income.

“All of them are on the brink of leaving their jobs because of unnecessary police harassment. The situation has turned especially bad recently after the recent incidents (of civilian killings). Some of our boys have been beaten up by cops. Their families aren’t allowing them to work now,” said Qari, who operates a unit of Bluedart’s courier service in Srinagar.

He said the spate of civilian killings has led to “unnecessary targeting” of bikers. “There is total chaos. We are in a very difficult situation. 75% [of our] staff is absent and only cars are being used for delivery, which has shot up costs. We are losing credibility and it’s shameful that the government is silently watching this assault on innocents who work hard to earn a dignified livelihood,” he said.

Also read: Kashmir: Three Civilians Shot Dead By Terrorists in One Evening, Including Srinagar’s Top Chemist

Vijay Kumar, inspector general of police, Kashmir, didn’t respond to a request for comment. The Jammu and Kashmir police have, however, denied that the crackdown was linked to the home minister’s visit. Quoting Kumar, an official spokesperson said the crackdown was linked to the spate of targeted killings.

In a Tweet, the Kashmir zone police said that the seizure of bikes and the shutting down of some internet towers was due to “terror” and “violence” and categorically denied any link to the home minister’s visit.

Security in general has been stepped up in Kashmir as the home minister is set to begin his three-day visit on Saturday. This will be his first since the Union government read down Article 370 and downgraded the erstwhile state into two union territories.

The home minister’s visit coincides with the deterioration of the security climate in Kashmir where more than three dozen persons, including at least 10 civilians, have been killed by suspected militants this month alone. This month also saw CRPF personnel shoot dead a civilian in a case of mistaken identity.

The J&K police launched the crackdown on bikers following the spurt in insurgency-related violence and a wave of targeted killings. In many such attacks, including one that left a school principal and a teacher dead in Srinagar earlier this month, the assailants were reported to have used bikes to escape.

Also read: Srinagar: Sikh School Principal, Kashmiri Pandit Teacher Shot Dead By Terrorists

These attacks underscore the precarity of the security situation in Kashmir and the home minister is reported to be reviewing security preparedness in the wake of the latest wave of attacks during his visit.

Kashmir: BJP Shifts Party Workers, Sarpanchs to Safe Houses After Series of Attacks

The party spokesperson Altaf Thakur said two safe houses had been identified in each of the 10 districts of the Valley, which have the capacity to accommodate around 200 persons.

Srinagar: Following a series of attacks on its workers in Kashmir, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has decided to shift many of its members and Panchayat representatives to “safe houses” in different districts of the Valley.

Since July this year, suspected militants have killed at least five BJP members, triggering a spate of resignations from party workers and elected representatives.

“Most of our leaders and designated members are under security. Now, we have decided to shift panchs, sarpanchs and some leaders who have become vulnerable (to the attacks), to the safe houses. These safe houses are either government buildings or rented hotels,” said party chief spokesperson, Altaf Thakur.

The BJP leader said two such safe houses have been identified in each of the 10 districts of the Valley, which have the capacity to accommodate around 200 persons.

“There was a temporary set up for shifting political workers in accommodation in some districts, but these accommodations will now be a permanent feature. These safe houses will have complete security as both the government and security agencies have given go-ahead to the program,” said Thakur.

The party plans to shift the members alone to these new places wherefrom they will be allowed to carry out political activities under the watchful eye of the security forces.

“This entire structure has been put in place in the wake of the recent attacks,” said Thakur.

Also read: Behind the Spurt in Recent Encounters Lies the Flow of Recruits to Militancy in Kashmir

The fresh cycle of attacks on the BJP members started when suspected militants shot dead BJP district president, Waseem Bari, his father Bashir Ahmad Sultan and his brother Umar Sultan, outside their residence in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on July 8.

Since then, two party members, Sajad Ahmad Khanday, a Sarpanch of Vessu village of Kulgam district and Abdul Hameed Najar, district president of Budgam OBC Morcha have been shot dead, while a BJP panch, Arif Ahmad Shah, was critically wounded in a separate attack in south Kashmir.

A senior leader said three more workers including a female party functionary from Chadoora township of Budgam was attacked inside their homes since July, but they escaped unhurt.

The attacks have led to panic within the party ranks. At least 16 members including some panchayat representatives have resigned from the BJP since. Many of them have announced their resignation on social media.

One such resignation letter reads: “I Sameer Ahmad Shah, son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah of Humhama, Budgam, as district officer secretary, BJP Budgam, resign from the membership of the BJP party. Right from today, I have no concern with the BJP.”

The letter went viral on social media, along with Shah’s photograph, earlier this month.

A BJP sarpanch uploaded a short video clip on social media to announce his resignation from the party as well as the post.

“I’m resigning from the post of Sarpanch. There is no benefit of being one. I haven’t earned a penny from being a Sarpanch. I have children and no wife or parents. Who will take care of my children if anything happens to me?” the BJP Sarpanch from Kulgam district can be heard saying in the video.

Also read: Interview | BJP’s J&K Spokesperson: Attacks on Party Workers Show Militants Are Frustrated

Thakur said those who resigned were the “political labourers” and had joined the BJP to “earn money”.

“They were not committed to the party ideology and that is why they left,” said Thakur.

A senior BJP functionary from central Kashmir, however, blamed the government for letting them down.

“What else do you expect from these workers,” he talked about resignations. “These people risked their lives and families when they joined BJP, but what are they getting in return. Why can’t the authorities ensure bare minimum security for them when they put everything at stake?”

Following the attacks, many BJP members and elected representatives were shifted to different hotels at tourist resorts of Pahalgam in south Kashmir and Gulmarg in north Kashmir. Many workers were also accommodated in different hotels of the summer capital Srinagar.

But, after staying away from their families for weeks, and amid complaints of inadequate facilities, these members started to return to their homes. Many of them spent their eid away from their families.

Senior BJP leader Ashok Koul said 1,650 political workers including those from BJP were already staying in different hotels and government buildings.

“We will ensure protection to each of our party worker,” said Koul.

But many party workers are not satisfied with the arrangements made for their accommodation. “How can we stay away from our families? The security of our families, our children is more important to us. The government should arrange family accommodation for us,” said a BJP sarpanch from Anantnag district who stayed for more than three weeks in a hotel before returning home.

The party had also sent a list of more than 260 leaders and designated members to J&K police for providing them security.

Also read: BJP Leader’s Killing in J&K Highlights Constant Threat to Political Workers

“This updated list included Panchs and Sarpanchs as well. At least 70 of them have already been provided security,” said Thakur.

He said the BJP political workers were being selectively targeted in the Valley which, he said depicted that militants and “some other elements” were not happy with the BJP’s growing popularity.

Thakur said the BJP has around 7.5 lakh members in the Valley, apart from 1,267 panchs and sarpanchs and 71 chairpersons of bock development councils.

“Our members are heading 14 municipalities committees and municipal councils in the Valley,” he said. “All these numbers point towards the growing popularity of the BJP in Kashmir.”

A source said the issue of security of the BJP leaders and elected Panchayat members was raised during a meeting headed by party general secretary Ram Madhav, with the district BJP presidents, at Srinagar today.

Madhav arrived in the Valley on Thursday for a two-day visit. The source said the district presidents gave their feedback during the meeting and urged for addressing the security concerns of the party leaders and workers.

The meeting took place days after the J&K BJP unit flagged the issue of security of its members in Kashmir, with the party high command at New Delhi.

Koul said Madhav also took up the security issue with the J&K administration. “He was assured that all measures have been put in place and these people will be shifted to secure accommodations in the next two to three days,” said Koul.

Srinagar Encounter: Houses Burned and Looted, Used as Human Shields Allege Residents

Srinagar’s senior superintendent of police denied the allegations levelled against the government forces by the residents.

Srinagar: It was 2:30 am and Mukhtar Ahmad, 35, was preparing for a sehri (a meal eaten before sunrise by Muslims during Ramadan) when he suddenly heard a big thud outside his house.

Anxious to know the nature of the noise, Mukhtar peeped out of his window and saw a large contingent of government forces in the narrow lane leading to his house.

Surprised by the presence of such a huge force, he immediately came downstairs to inform his family about the situation outside.

“As we were still trying to figure out what was going on, we heard a knock at the front gate. The forces told us to come out,” Mukhtar, a shopkeeper, recalled.

The government forces had information about the presence of militants in the locality. Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants, one of whom was Junaid Ashraf Khan ‘Sehrai’, whose father is the chairman of the separatist conglomerate Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (also known as the All Parties Hurriyat Conference), were killed on Tuesday morning after a 15-hour-long gun battle with forces in a densely populated area in downtown Srinagar.

Allegations of civilians used as ‘human shields’

Mukhtar and his family of five, including his mother, father, brother, sister-in-law, and a nephew, politely followed the orders. While the forces allowed the rest of the family to move away from the encounter site, Mukhtar and his nephew were held back. After forces cordoned off the area, Mukhtar, along with his nephew, was asked to film the insides of houses where militants were suspected to be hiding with their camera phone.

Also read: Ten Days After Police ‘Attack’ Kashmir Village, Residents Remain Traumatised

“They beat us and told us to go inside and make a video. We were used as human shields,” Mukhtar alleged.

Forced to enter the houses, the two of them resorted to calling out in Kashmiri to ask if anyone was inside.

“When we went back after making a video, and showed it to the forces, they beat us stating that we are actually helping the militants to escape by making them aware of the forces’ positions in the native language,” he said.

Mukhtar said it was after making at least four to five rounds that he and his nephew were released.

The site of the encounter in downtown Srinagar. Photo: Junaid Kathju

Houses burned; belongings looted

“I was carrying Rs 63,000 cash in my pocket, which I had picked up from home when we were asked to evacuate it, but they took that too from me,” Mukhtar alleged.

Many other residents, several of whose houses were burned, claimed that the police looted cash, jewellery, and other valuables from their homes as they carried out the operation to eliminate militants in the area.

On Wednesday, curls of smoke were still emanating from the debris. A large number of people across the city have visited the place to witness the scale of the destruction.

Nazir Ahmad Darzi, 47, and his son Mohammed Ibrahim Darzi, 15, also claimed to have been used as human shields during the operation.

“We were inside our homes and were asked to come out. The moment we came out, the forces grabbed my neck and started beating me,” Ibrahim said.

Forty-seven-year-old Nazir Ahmad Darzi claimed he and his 15-year-old son were used as human shields during the operation. Photo: Junaid Kathju

Like others who had already been assembled near the encounter site, he too was asked to go inside the suspected houses and film them.

“I made two rounds inside the houses. On both occasions, when I came back with a video, the forces were forcing me to give them the location of the militants,” Ibrahim said. “I told them that I don’t know, to which they [forces] replied that if they do not find the militants, we will be targeted instead.”

Ibrahim’s father also narrated the same story. “I was ready to die but was scared for my son. I can never forget those hours,” Nazir Ahmad said. “I was begging the forces to allow me to go inside the houses alone, to just spare my son.”

Both the Darzis’ and Mukhtar’s houses were burned down in the encounter. The families alleged that all their belongings, too, were looted.

“When we came back to our houses around 3 pm, after the forces left, there was nothing left. All our belongings were gone,” Nazir said.

Just three houses away from Mukhtar’s and Darzi’s house, Afrooza, 42, was reciting the Quran in her room as it was one of the five nights of Laylat-al-Qadr (the Night of Power), in which the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by Allah.

Also read: Kashmir: Civilian Killed for ‘Jumping Checkpoint’, Family Denies Official Version

Immersed in her prayers, Afrooza heard a knock at the front gate of her house. Initially, she thought it might be the neighbours looking for something.

“Open the door. We are from the police station,” were the words Afrooza recalled as she rushed to her husband Fayaz Ahmad Gandroo, who was sleeping in the next room.

Fayaz, a tailor by profession, opened the door without wasting any time. The family was asked to evacuate the house but not before taking Fayaz with them.

Fayaz’s incinerated sewing machine. Photo: Junaid Kathju

“I asked them (forces) where they are taking my husband. But they said he will be back soon,” Afrooza said. The family alleges that Fayaz was used as a human shield in a search operation.

The house was now taken over by the forces as a vantage point to hunt down the militants that, as per their intelligence, were hiding in the neighbourhood. Fayaz was allowed to leave as soon as the encounter began.

“I had Rs 30,000  and some jewelry in a wardrobe. Everything is gone,” Afrooza alleges.

Afrooza too lost her house in the fire. The family alleges that as the forces were preparing to leave, they set the house on fire and looted all their precious belongings.

“I am left with nothing. My husband is a tailor and stitches leather jackets. Where will we go now? I have two children,” she said.

Afrooza’s house has been lost to the fire. Photo: Junaid Kathju

22 houses gutted in the fire

As per the Mohalla Committee, 22 houses were gutted in the fire.

Abdul Rehman Dar, the president of the Mohalla Committee, said the 22 houses sheltered around a 100 people, “who now have nowhere to go”.

“All their belongings were lost in the fire. The only thing they are left with is the clothes they were wearing at the time of the encounter,” Dar said.

To help the affected families, the committee is now raising funds on a local level, and have also opened a bank account for donations to rebuild the houses.

“We don’t need any help from the government. We (Kashmiris) are sufficient enough to help out our brethren. We will rise again, by Allah’s willing,” Dar said.

Mohalla committee collecting funds to help the affected families. Photo: Junaid Kathju

An official from the Fire and Service departments said that, as per their preliminary investigation, they have counted 17 houses that were either fully or partially burned during the encounter.

Also read: Civilian Killed in Protests as Kashmiris Try to Make Their Way to Riyaz Naikoo’s Village

Superintendent of Police denies allegations

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Srinagar, Haseeb Mughal denied the allegations levelled against the government forces by the residents.

“The allegation of looting is rubbish and baseless. It is being levelled to malign the image of the forces,” Mughal said. “Similarly, nobody was taken as human shield. The residents were asked to accompany the forces to only check their own houses.”

Mughal said those who have lost their jewellery and cash should file a police complaint regarding the same. The SSP also said that compensation would be paid for those houses that got burned as per government norms.

“Apart from two to three houses from which the militants were firing, all other houses which caught the fire, resulting in collateral damage, will be provided relief,” he said.

Junaid Kathju is a Srinagar-based journalist.

Ten Days After Police ‘Attack’ Kashmir Village, Residents Remain Traumatised

Most men are hiding, the women are terrified of more raids and the police say allegations of vandalisation are baseless.

Srinagar: More than a week after the Jammu and Kashmir police, the CRPF and the Special Operations Group (SOG) allegedly went on a rampage in Nasrullahpora, Budgam, North Kashmir, residents of the village remain traumatised and terrified.

On May 8, after photographs of damaged shops and vandalised houses in Nasrullahpora went viral on social media, the media reported a night of horror when even women were beaten up by security forces.

Shakeela Bano (38) said she was preparing for iftaar and her three daughters were weaving shawls when suddenly a group of angry policemen and CRPF men barged into their house.

“First they broke our four-wheeler, then they broke all the windows and mirrors in the house without telling us why,” said Bano. “When I pleaded with them to stop, they began thrashing me with the stocks of their guns.”

The injuries are still visible on Bano’s legs. “I cannot move or work properly. My legs hurt,” said Bano.

The policemen also beat Bano’s ailing 16-year-old daughter Rahila* with sticks. “Her lower abdomen still hurts,” said Bano. “We are both on medication now.”

Bano was terrified that her daughters would be molested during the attack. “The policemen hurled abuses at me and treated us without respect,” she told The Wire.

Shafiya Jan* (26) standing outside her house. Photo: Quratulain Rehbar

Shafiya Jan* alleged that the police not only vandalised her home but also stole ornaments and other items she had purchased for her wedding next month. The 25-year-old said: “When the police entered our house, they asked where my father was. We said he wasn’t home, so they locked me and my two sisters in a room and ransacked the house. My wedding jewellery and some clothes were stolen from the new house we had constructed in our courtyard.”

Also read: Kashmir: Civilian Killed for ‘Jumping Checkpoint’, Family Denies Official Version

Jan has not been in touch with her father for 10 days. “He left his phone at home in his rush to get away,” she said. “There are only women at home now and a handicapped uncle.”

The police destroyed even the groceries Jan’s family had bought for her wedding feast. They broke jars, smashed utensils and mixed chilly and salt together. “We had brought groceries worth Rs 20,000 and they scattered them all over the ground,” said Jan. “They even broke our refrigerator and inverter.”

Smashed utensils and jars at Shafiya Jan’s home. Photo(L): StandWithKashmir/Photo(R): Quratulain Rehbar

There are very few men left in the village now, say the residents. Most have gone into hiding for fear of being tortured. “We are not able to go outside or remain inside our homes; we fear constant raids by the police,” said Jan. “Women here don’t switch on the lights during sehri; instead they eat by candlelit, such is the fear.”

Why it happened

The alleged attack by the security forces on the village was apparently in retaliation for an incident a week earlier when the local deputy superintendent of police (DSP) was beaten up and severely injured.

The DSP and his escort had entered a mosque when clashes broke out among the worshippers gathered for Friday prayers. According to a resident of the village, “The DSP barged into the mosque with his shoes on, which infuriated the worshippers and triggered their reaction. However, even while some people beat him, others tried to save him.”

Like those of his fellow villagers, local BJP leader G.M. Dar’s house and property were also vandalised in the alleged attack by security forces. His terrified children, he said, burst into tears when the police smashed his car.

Smashed electronic equipment outside Shafiya Jan’s home. Photo: Quratulain Rehbar

Dar is now trying to sort out the issue between the police and the residents of the village. The police have demanded the surrender of those who harmed the DSP and threatened the village with consequences if that does not happen.

“We held a meeting today in which I made people understand that those who are responsible for injuring the DSP should surrender and they will be treated as per the law,” said Dar.

Also read: Civilian Killed in Protests as Kashmiris Try to Make Their Way to Riyaz Naikoo’s Village

Amod Nagpuri, senior superintendent of police, Budgam, told The Wire that the villagers’ allegations were baseless. “There was no harassment of women,” he said. “Our DSP was grievously injured by miscreants who tried to lynch him and snatch away his rifle. The police party only raided the houses of the people who were involved.”

Nagpuri said a few people had been arrested for the attack on the DSP and four FIRs had been registered in the case. “They are being summoned under section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and some of them are still evading the law,” he added.  Nagpuri also said that those who spread rumours against the police will be dealt with according to the law.

Note: An earlier version of this story erroneously credited two pictures from StandWithKashmir to Quratulain Rehbar. The error is regretted.

Quratulain Rehbar is a Kashmir-based freelance journalist.

Three Militants, Three Civilians Killed in Kulgam District Encounter

“It is devastating. This needs to be investigated through an impartial probe…We are now tired of crying and demanding, but those who matter have turned a deaf ear,” CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami said on the loss of civilian lives.

New Delhi: Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said, adding that three civilians lost their lives in a blast after the gunfight ended.

The identity of the slain militants is being ascertained, a police official said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Laroo area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir following specific information about the presence of militants in the area. As the forces were conducting the searches, ultras fired at them, triggering the encounter, the official said.

The police added that three civilians were killed in a blast at the encounter site after the forces had withdrawn from the spot. “Civilians visited the encounter site immediately after the operation in spite of (our) request not to go there as a thorough search is to be made for explosives once flames douse. They did not listen and visited the spot immediately after the forces withdrew… Some explosive substance went off, resulting in injuries to civilians. One civilian, namely Ubaid Laway, a resident of Laroo, died on the spot,” the police official said.

“The others injured in the incident were rushed to a hospital, while a few were referred to the SMHS Hospital, where two of them succumbed to injuries,” he added.

Meanwhile, clashes broke out between groups of youths and security forces in the area.

“Police had to use some force to quell the protests, and around two dozen persons were injured in the clashes,” the official said.

Kulgam MLA and CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami expressed grief over the loss of civilian lives and demanded a probe into the incident. “It is devastating. This needs to be investigated through an impartial probe…We are now tired of crying and demanding, but those who matter have turned a deaf ear,” he said.

Advisor to the governor, K. Vijay Kumar, and DGP Dilbag Singh also expressed regret over the loss of civilian lives.

A police spokesman said encounter sites should be avoided by civilians till they are properly sanitised.

(PTI)