Despite serious eye injuries to protestors in Valley
New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has demanded a complete ban on the use of pellet guns by the security forces. The matter has assumed alarming proportions with over a hundred people being treated in the Valley for severe eye injuries caused by the pellet guns. In fact, following a public furore, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday approved the formation of an expert committee to explore non-lethal alternatives to these guns.
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However, the Central Reserve Police Force, which is the largest force deployed in civilian areas for controlling law and order, said it would continue to use the weapon in the Valley; the Indian Army, too, Tuesday backed it saying the guns were the ‘least lethal’ option of weaponry.
“No civilized country uses these guns. Ahead of his visit to Kashmir last week I had requested the union home minister Rajnath Singh to make sure that the use of pellet guns is totally banned,” Azad said at a media briefing. The former J&K chief minister said that never in the history of the trouble torn state more than 50 people have been killed and about 5,000 injured during a sustained period of curfew for 18 long days.
‘‘Hundreds of boys have been rendered blind – how can you blind your own people and youth – are you going to win the confidence of the people or are you going to make permanent enemies,” he observed. He added that on his visit to the state Rajnath Singh should have tried to win the hearts of the people.” The second thing that he should have made sure is that confidence building measures are undertaken,” he added.
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Azad said that at this juncture in Kashmir, when it is facing a great crisis, he would request everybody, including the opposition and all political parties and the media, to help create a congenial atmosphere and not add fuel to the fire. ”I would request my friends in the electronic and print Media that we should not have such volatile discussions which can further aggravate the situation,” he added. In the context of certain suggestions made by former union home minister P Chidamabarm, Azad said that this is not the time for such issues to be discussed. ”Right now we should stick to the party line on this issue that is well-defined. We are not having a debate on Kashmir, the priority Is to end the suffering of the people, who do not have anything to eat,” he added.
