Kashmiris resisting Pak designs in valley

An increasing number of Kashmiris are braving Pakistan-inspired designs in the valley for the restoration of the tourist industry and other employment avenues.

This is the finding of a two member Congress team which has just submitted its report to party president Sitaram Kesri for necessary action regarding the revitalisation of the party's J&K unit.

The team, which toured Jammu, Ladakh and the valley, was led by Congress joint secretary Major Ved Prakash (retired). He told Rediff On The NeT that the upsurge of terrorist violence on the eve of the Indo-Pak talks is significant.

Referring to the grenade attack by terrorists in Sinnimarg on March 8 when he was nearby, the major said the terrorists lobbed a grenade on a contingent of security personnel which fired back. In the crossfire a young girl was killed. Soon after the foreign secretary-level talks were announced, he noted a marked increase in terrorist violence.

However, he said an increasing number of Kashmiris, disillusioned with the violence in the valley, had staged demonstrations against the terrorists and had underscored the role of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence in the valley.

According to Major Ved Prakash, his conversations with people in the valley had revealed that they were desperate for the restoration of the tourist industry which had earlier provided considerable employment opportunities to them.

He pointed out that many Kashmiris also complained about their elected representatives ignoring their plight and confining themselves to urban and 'secure' areas. When the people approached these representatives to help curb violence, they were told that combating terrorism was not an easy task and they should understand this.

Most of these legislators, the major claimed, belonged to the ruling National Conference.