Srinigar, Kashmir
28 June 2008
Muslim protests over the transfer of land to expand a Hindu shrine inIndian administered Kashmir are continuing for a sixth straight day. On Friday a sea of people hit the streets in the summer capitalSrinagar demanding the revocation of the land transfer. Street protestsand clashes with police were also reported from many areas onSaturday. Officials say at least three people have been killed. Shahnawaz Khan reports from Srinigar.
Tens of thousands ofpeople in Indian administered Kashmir took to the streets on Friday inone of the biggest demonstrations in recent years.
Thedemonstrations came after four days of street protests and clashes overa controversial transfer of forestland to a Hindu Shrine Board by thestate government. Formed in 2001 the Shri Amarnath Shrine Boardmanages the annual Hindu pilgrimage to Amarnath cave shrine in Indianadministered Kashmir. The new land would allow facilities for pilgrimsto be built around the shrine.
Kashmiri separatists allege theland transfer is a conspiracy to change the demography of the mainlyMuslim Kashmir Valley. They fear the land would be used to settleIndian Hindus in largely Muslim Kashmir.
The issue has broughttwo estranged factions of the Kashmiri separatist alliance "AllParties Hurriyat Conference" together five years after they split.
Syed Ali Shah Geelani heads the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference.
"Asfar as the yatra (pilgrimage) itself is concerned we are not againstany religion or rituals or religious functions. No not at all," hesaid. "But when the religious rituals will become
[politicized], thebasic rights of the people snatched, their land, their basic rights,their civilization attacked, then it should be [fought]. "
Locallaws forbid sale of land in Indian administered Kashmir to outsiders,which means Indian citizens cannot own land in Kashmir. Any violationsare strongly protested.
In addition to the deaths caused bythe demonstrations, hundreds have been injured in police action againstprotestors this week. Life has come to a virtual halt with roadsshutdown and businesses and offices closed.
Protestors shoutedanti-India and pro-freedom slogans and hoisted green flags over ahistorical clock tower in the main city square of Srinigar, whereauthorities hoist Indian flags on its independence and republic days.
Drowned in the sea of people, Indian paramilitary troops which have a post at the base of the tower, remained mute spectators.
Large-scaleprocessions were common in Indian administered Kashmir in the early1990s soon after the outbreak of an anti-India armed insurgency in theregion. A strong police presence later made such processions almostimpossible.
On Friday as people came out of mosques after noonprayers, they met lesser resistance from police than the previous fourdays. The region's police chief said police and paramilitary units wereasked to exhibit restraint.
Majority Muslim parties in the state's legislature want the land transfer revoked.
However,the rightwing Hindu nationalist party, the Bhartiya Janata Party, isopposing revocation moves and has stirred protests in the Hindudominated Jammu province making the government's decision difficult.
Indianofficials dismiss the allegations about the land transfer saying Indiahas never tried to encourage Hindu migration to the Kashmir region.