Latest news with #People'sConference
Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Take people along… don't hand out collective punishment': J-K MLAs appeal on house demolitions
Unanimously passing a resolution on Monday condemning the Pahalgam terror attack, members of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly pointed to the public outrage over the incident across the Valley and cautioned against any 'misplaced action that alienates the people'. They referred to the reports of harassment of Kashmiri students and businessmen in other parts of the country, as well as the demolition of houses belonging to the families and even distant relatives of terrorists in the Valley, with one MLA describing it as 'collective punishment'. Referring to the fact that people came out of their houses in protest against the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 dead, 25 of them tourists, People's Conference leader Sajad Lone said the biggest challenge law enforcers have had in the past is that they could not distinguish between an innocent man and a terrorist, with several innocents dying in the process or suffering. The violence will not end unless there are thousands of pony wallahs such as Syed Adil Hussain Shah who had come to the rescue of tourists, Lone said. 'However, to nurture people and make them like Syed Adil Shah, you have to create the environment… To have such an environment, we cannot take measures which are regressive.' Stressing that the cooperation of local people was needed for enduring peace, he said: 'We have to make corrections. If we do not make corrections, we will bleed.' The People's Conference leader referred to alleged incidents of harassment of Kashmiri students in some parts of the country, and said this should be checked. 'We have to tell the people that when you do something, it gets magnified and feeds the mindset that terrorists want. Let us not do what terrorists want us to do.' Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, an Independent MLA from Thanmandi in Rajouri, Jammu, who supports the ruling National Conference, said that while no words were enough to condemn the 'cowardly' terrorist act, 'there should not be collective punishment of innocent people just because someone in their distant family has become a militant'. He said houses of even those who no longer have any contact with their relatives who had joined terrorism had been demolished. 'Such actions will not end the terror ecosystem,' Khan said. Veteran CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami accused the terrorists who struck in Pahalgam of 'trying to foist their divisive agenda' on people. 'A message should go from this House that we are all citizens of this country and it is our collective responsibility to ensure security of all'', including tourists coming to J&K and the students from Kashmir studying elsewhere in the country, he said. 'Only then can we defeat the terrorists' agenda of dividing people on communal lines.' Calling for establishing 'the rule of law', Tarigami said this ran contrary to the demolition of houses to target terrorists. Many of these structures had been standing for years, he said, 'but all of a sudden, you say today that these are terrorist hideouts'. 'The fight against terror cannot be successful unless the rule of law is established in J&K,' he said.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ensure innocent Kashmiris don't bear brunt of war on terror: Omar, Mehbooba, Lone
SRINAGAR: The required war on terrorism should not make innocent Kashmiris collateral damage, Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah , PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti , and People's Conference chief Sajad Lone have warned amid a massive crackdown on terrorists, including demolition of their family homes, in the Pahalgam attack aftermath. 'Punish the guilty, show them no mercy, but don't let innocent people become collateral damage… There must be a decisive fight against terrorism and its origins. The people of Kashmir have come out openly against terrorism. It's time to build on this support and avoid any misplaced action that alienates people,' Omar said. Earlier, National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi alleged on X, 'Kashmir and Kashmiris are being given collective punishment.' Mehbooba said the Union govt should tread carefully and avoid alienating innocent people while acting against terrorists. 'There are reports of thousands being arrested and scores of houses of common Kashmiris being demolished along with those of militants.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo She urged the Centre to direct the authorities to ensure that innocent people are not made to bear the brunt, as alienation aids terrorists' goals of division and fear. Lone said that using 'collectiveness to define criminality or terrorism is a curse and will never allow reconciliation and social introspection.' 'The mass protests against the Pahalgam killings were a rare occurrence, a first of its kind in the last 78 years. It showed a shift in mindset — from a society in which some significant sections may have accorded social sanctity to the concept of violence, to a society which marched in thousands across villages and towns condemning violence, thereby signifying the social stigmatisation of violence,' he said. 'This is a monumental shift, a milestone. But at the same time, a fragile shift. I hope those in charge of law and order do understand the significance of the shift and don't do anything erroneously that impedes the shift or facilitates a return to the earlier mindset.' He said there is a general feeling across the Valley that entire families are being punished for the actions of one person.
NDTV
23-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
J&K MLA Sajad Lone Says "All Of Kashmir Shedding Tears Of Blood"
Srinagar: People's Conference chief Sajad Lone on Wednesday led the party's candlelight vigil against the Pahalgam terror attack and said that all of Kashmir was "shedding tears of blood". The terror strike at a prime tourist location in Pahalgam on Tuesday, the deadliest in the Kashmir Valley since the 2019 Pulwama attack, left at least 26 people, mostly tourists, dead and several injured. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti led a march of party leaders and workers from Sher-e-Kashmir Park to the historic Lal Chowk city centre. Mr Lone, who is also an MLA from Handwara, led a candlelight march at Polo View. Speaking to reporters, he said the killings were "profoundly regrettable" and described the attack as the "gravest in the past 30 years". "All of Kashmir today is shedding tears of blood. These tourists were part of our hearts," he said. Referring to shutdown and protests across the valley, Mr Lone said the mass turnout in the streets must send a clear message to these nefarious elements that "this is our land, and these visitors are our guests. Lay down your bullets, we will not tolerate even a glare at our guests". He said that for decades, the people of Kashmir have been known for their warmth and generosity. "But now, the blood of our guests stains our conscience. It was outsiders who struck, not we the natives," Lone added. The PDP MLA said the outpouring of grief and solidarity should serve as a stern warning to those wielding guns that such atrocities "will no longer be tolerated." External villains behind this atrocity aimed to cripple Kashmir's economy and leave its people in despair, but they will not succeed, Lone added.
Business Recorder
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Kashmir killings shatter Modi's tourism success in troubled region
SRINAGAR: Images and videos of gunshots ringing out in a meadow, bloodied bodies lying on the ground, and people fleeing across a dry river bed have shattered Kashmir's emergence as India's new tourism hotspot. The region's strikingly beautiful mountains, valleys and grand Mughal-era gardens had drawn record tourist arrivals stemming from five years of relative safety. Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had touted the tourism boom as among his signature achievements. But Tuesday's attack by suspected who killed at least 26 tourists and wounded many more in Kashmir's scenic Pahalgam area, known for its glowing Himalayan peaks and fast-flowing streams, has left panicked tourists seeking an early exit at the start of the busy summer season. Modi, whose decision to strip Muslim-majority Kashmir's partial autonomy in 2019 after decades of anti-India violence led to widespread protests, and his finance minister both cut short separate overseas trips after vowing justice. He took a meeting of his top lieutenants at the airport itself upon return. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, which both claim fully, and had been plagued by years of insurgent violence. Locals have called for a one-day protest against the deadliest such attack in Kashmir in decades, tourist operators are reporting massive cancellations, and airlines are running additional return flights from Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. Tourism is the backbone of the Kashmir valley's economy, and has been promoted heavily by the government and Indian airlines. Arrivals hit a record high of more than 3 million last year, from fewer than 831,000 in 2018, as India's widening middle class splurged on travel post-COVID, government data showed. India suspends Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan with immediate effect But some Kashmir hardliners have derided the influx as a cultural invasion by visitors from the rest of mostly Hindu India. 'We have a history of hospitality, but some cowardly terrorists want to destroy it all,' Sajjad Lone, a local lawmaker and chief of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference party, told reporters. 'People involved in tourism have, after a long time, begun to restart their lives. They had begun to dream. Make no mistake, these terror attacks are aimed at yet again disempowering us economically.' A little-known group, the 'Kashmir Resistance,' claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message. It said more than 85,000 'outsiders' had been settled in the region after arriving as tourists, vowing violence against such settlers. Civilian casualties, however, have fallen significantly in the past two decades, data shows. Tourist operators, taxi drivers, and other people involved in the industry condemned the attack and rued lost business at the start of the summer rush. The attack is also a big blow to Modi's attempts to draw foreign investments into the area. As desperate tourists tried to flee Kashmir, flight tickets briefly rose sharply before the government met with airline operators and 'issued a strong advisory against surge pricing'. 'In the aftermath of the incident in Pahalgam, there is an unexpected demand from tourists seeking to return to their homes,' the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in an advisory to all airlines. 'Airlines are advised to take swift action to increase the number of flights.' A top travel agent in Kashmir said on the condition of anonymity that they had to cancel about 90% of bookings for the next three months. Shakir Ahmed, manager at a tourist taxi union in Pahalgam, said all their 30 vehicles were sitting idle as people fled in the morning. 'The streets are suddenly empty,' he said. 'Summers are like wedding celebrations for us, but this year, we will have nothing. We are nothing without the tourists.' Inaugurating a tunnel in January connecting a key snow hotspot in Kashmir with some other tourist sites, Modi said the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir was benefiting from infrastructure and other work in recent years. 'Leaving behind the earlier difficult days, our Kashmir is now regaining its identity as a paradise on earth,' he said. On Tuesday while on a visit to Saudi Arabia, he wrote on X: 'Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice … they will not be spared!'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kashmir killings shatter Modi's tourism success in troubled region
By Fayaz Bukhari and Krishna N. Das SRINAGAR (Reuters) - Images and videos of gunshots ringing out in a meadow, bloodied bodies lying on the ground, and people fleeing across a dry river bed have shattered Kashmir's emergence as India's new tourism hotspot. The region's strikingly beautiful mountains, valleys and grand Mughal-era gardens had drawn record tourist arrivals stemming from five years of relative safety. Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had touted the tourism boom as among his signature achievements. But Tuesday's attack by suspected militants who killed at least 26 tourists and wounded many more in Kashmir's scenic Pahalgam area, known for its glowing Himalayan peaks and fast-flowing streams, has left panicked tourists seeking an early exit at the start of the busy summer season. Modi, whose decision to strip Muslim-majority Kashmir's partial autonomy in 2019 after decades of anti-India violence led to widespread protests, and his finance minister both cut short separate overseas trips after vowing justice. He took a meeting of his top lieutenants at the airport itself upon return. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, which both claim fully, and had been plagued by years of insurgent violence. Locals have called for a one-day protest against the deadliest such attack in Kashmir in decades, tourist operators are reporting massive cancellations, and airlines are running additional return flights from Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. Tourism is the backbone of the Kashmir valley's economy, and has been promoted heavily by the government and Indian airlines. Arrivals hit a record high of more than 3 million last year, from fewer than 831,000 in 2018, as India's widening middle class splurged on travel post-COVID, government data showed. But some Kashmir hardliners have derided the influx as a cultural invasion by visitors from the rest of mostly Hindu India. "We have a history of hospitality, but some cowardly terrorists want to destroy it all," Sajjad Lone, a local lawmaker and chief of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference party, told reporters. "People involved in tourism have, after a long time, begun to restart their lives. They had begun to dream. Make no mistake, these terror attacks are aimed at yet again disempowering us economically." A little-known militant group, the "Kashmir Resistance," claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message. It said more than 85,000 "outsiders" had been settled in the region after arriving as tourists, vowing violence against such settlers. Civilian casualties, however, have fallen significantly in the past two decades, data shows. Tourist operators, taxi drivers, and other people involved in the industry condemned the attack and rued lost business at the start of the summer rush. The attack is also a big blow to Modi's attempts to draw foreign investments into the area. As desperate tourists tried to flee Kashmir, flight tickets briefly rose sharply before the government met with airline operators and "issued a strong advisory against surge pricing". "In the aftermath of the incident in Pahalgam, there is an unexpected demand from tourists seeking to return to their homes," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in an advisory to all airlines. "Airlines are advised to take swift action to increase the number of flights." A top travel agent in Kashmir said on the condition of anonymity that they had to cancel about 90% of bookings for the next three months. Shakir Ahmed, manager at a tourist taxi union in Pahalgam, said all their 30 vehicles were sitting idle as people fled in the morning. "The streets are suddenly empty," he said. "Summers are like wedding celebrations for us, but this year, we will have nothing. We are nothing without the tourists." Inaugurating a tunnel in January connecting a key snow hotspot in Kashmir with some other tourist sites, Modi said the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir was benefiting from infrastructure and other work in recent years. "Leaving behind the earlier difficult days, our Kashmir is now regaining its identity as a paradise on earth," he said. On Tuesday while on a visit to Saudi Arabia, he wrote on X: "Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice ... they will not be spared!"
