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Kashmir renegades warn of big spurt in insurgency

Four reformed Kashmiri extremists, who were instrumental in curbing militancy in the valley, has cautioned the government against a spurt in militancy.

They warned the situation might become worse than what it was in 1989 if immediate steps were not taken.

The former militant leaders -- Papa Kishtwari, Umar Mukhtar, Samad Khan and Javed Shah -- told a joint press conference in Srinagar that the situation in the state was deteriorating day by day. Political and bureaucratic apathy, they felt, was alienating the people and opening ways for renewed violence.

The renegades had belonged to the Ikhwan Ul Muslimeen outfit which was largely responsible for driving the pro Pakistani Hizbul Mujahideen to the wall, and making way for elections in the state. Javed Shah is now a municipal councillor of the ruling National Conference.

Speaking about the recruitment drive which the paramilitary forces has launched for reformed militants, Shah said, ''That is just an eyewash''. To date, only about a hundred militants have been recruited.

''Their antecedents should be first investigated to know how many of them are reformed militants and, also, how many would not return to militancy,'' he said.

Shah accused the Farooq Abdullah government of failing on all fronts and disillusioning both the reformed militants as well as common people.

''People are drifting away from the political system they had once looked to with hope. Corruption and mismanagement is frustrating the younger generation. Politically also, no pro-India party is determined to confront the ideological venom spread by pro-Pakistan elements,'' he said.

Significantly, corruption was stated to be one of the reasons for the spurt in militancy in the valley in 1989.

The renegades were in Srinagar to meet Home Minister Lal Kishinchand Advani and other central leaders to apprise them of the real situation in the valley.

Asked why they had not attempted to speak with central leaders earlier, they said, ''Unfortunately we never had a stable government at the Centre. Whenever we initiated talks, the prime minister or the government changed and we had to start it all over again.''

The renegades accused the Kashmiri press of being under Pakistan's thumb. ''The Kashmiri press is ISI press,'' Shah said, referring to Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence.

He accused the press of presenting a wrong picture of militancy and trying to rake up human rights issues. ''It has glorified militancy,'' he said.

However, he continued, when it came to the human rights of the common people and the security forces, the press did not write a single word. ''What about the human rights of the security personnel who are killed by militants? What about the human rights of the common people and renegade militants?'' an angry Shah asked reporters.

He accused the state government of ignoring renegades after making use of them to curb militancy, thus exposing them to dangers from pro-Pakistan militants. He said so far 180 members of their cadre had been gunned down by pro-Pakistanis -- and this had not been highlighted by the Kashmir press.

About the state government's autonomy demand, Shah said, ''First peace should be restored in the valley. Everything else comes next.''

UNI

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