What J&K Is Talking About
Killings of non-locals in Valley Continue Unabated
Kashmiri assassins gunned down another two defenceless non-locals on Saturday 16 October. One of the civilians murdered was street vendor Arbind Kumar Sah from Bihar and the other a carpenter, Sagir Ahmad from Uttar Pradesh. This is the ninth civilian killing by militants in the Valley this month. Earlier, seven civilians, including a non-local Hindu vendor, a local Hindu teacher, a Sikh school principal and a Kashmiri Pandit chemist, were killed. The NIA along with the Army and police, is conducting intensive raids and operations to flush out terrorists. Meanwhile, former J&K DGP Shesh Paul Vaid has made a call for "giving arms training to minority Hindus and vulnerable sections of Muslims" in the Valley so that they can protect themselves. [17 October 2021]
Poonch Encounter Claims Two more Indian Soldiers' Lives
With the recovery of the bodies of two jawans on Saturday 16 October, the death toll of soldiers has gone up to nine in two operations in Poonch since October 11. "Subedar Ajay Singh and Naik Harendra Singh were killed in action during search operations conducted by the Army along with the police in densely forested area of Nar Khas forest in Mendhar, District Poonch, on October 14," an Army spokesman said. The twin operations were on.[17 October 2021]
Kashmir Against Terrorism
With more than 700 people rounded up in the aftermath of the killings of M.L.Bindroo and other non-Muslim Kashmiris, the call for #KashmirAgainstTerrorism is gathering force on social media. @RadioChinar reports that "security forces along with NIA have been carrying out numerous searches and targeted operations to unearth the militant module, which were aimed at creating a fear psychosis in the minds of minorities & tourists in the Valley". Film actor Anupam Kher put out a passionate appeal to all Indians to raise their voice against the current spate of terrorist attacks which are aimed at driving out the few Kashmiri Pandits who have remained in Srinagar despite all odds.[14 October 2021]
Pakistan Foreign Minister Warns there Will Be No Peace in J&K
While pushing in cold bloodded killers and assassins into Kashmir, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi continued to warn the world community there will be no peace without resolution of Kashmir according to Pakistan's terms. The latest warning was issued at multilateral meeting in Kazakhstan, where Qureshi said sustainable peace in South Asia was not possible without the resolution of the "core dispute" with India. [12 October 2021]
Continued Social Media Outrage over Minority Killings
Outraged citizens of Kashmir and the rest of India have taken to social media to protest the targeting of non-Muslim and non-local people by terrorists. The gunning down of Makhanlal Bindroo, the owner of a popular pharmacy in Srinagar, provoked the trending hashtag #IamMakhanlalBindroo to condemn the killing. The Bindroo family refused to cow down to terror and vowed they would continue to serve all the people of Kashmir. The family has reopened the pharmacy in order to help meet the medical needs of its customers. [14 October 2021]
Faceless Killers Back in Action in Valley
The cold-blooded killing of innocent minotrities in Kashmir Valley has provoked fears of a return of assassinations, targetted killings and murders by pro-Pakistan terrorists who have been re-activated after a period of relative quiet. Four people from the minority community, including two teachers, have been shot dead by militants in Srinagar City. This, many Kashmiris suspect, could be the beginning of worse times ahead. On Tuesday morning police managed to kill one of the terrorists responsible for assassination of non-local hawker. Police believe the murders are being committed by Pak based outfit Lashkar e Taiba and its associate TRF. [11 October 2021]
Taliban Victory Makes Pakistan Raise Violence in J&K
The Taliban victory in Afghanistan has prompted the Pakistan Army HQ to raise the violence level in J&K as is evident from the massive infiltration taking place along the Line of Contol (LoC). On Monday massive gunfights broke out at several places at and near the border leaving as many as five Indian Army soldiers dead. Five Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), and two militants were killed in four encounters that raged between security forces and hiding militants in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir within 12 hours on Monday. [11 October 2021]
China Tightens Screws on India
India and China have failed to make any headway in resolving the 17-month standoff in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh. The Chinese have deliberately rejected the Indian Army's "constructive suggestions" in the latest round of military talks. The Indian Army said the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LoC) had been caused by "unilateral attempts" of the Chinese side to alter the status quo and it is necessary that China takes appropriate steps to restore peace in the region. [11 October 2021]
