Conflict

Civil society groups protest against Pulwama massacre in New Delhi, call for political solution of K-issue

Srinagar: A number of civil society groups on Wednesday protested against the Pulwama massacre at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Seven civilians were killed by the armed forces last week after a brief gunfight.

Carrying banners which read ‘protest against gruesome murder of 7 civilians by security forces’, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Khudai Khidmatgar, People’s Union For Civil Liberties Delhi, Delhi Solidarity Group, Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha, Sadbhav Mission, Pakistan India Poeples Forum for Peace and Democracy National Movement Front, NTUI and many others held a demonstration and a candle light vigil against the massacre.

“The violence and the killings continue and so does the silence. On Saturday, security forces opened fire on the peacefully protesting civilians who were protesting encounters and military action in Pulwama and killed seven people in cold blood. The current round of killings and numbers add to thousands who have been killed over the years in the longest ongoing conflict,” they said in a joint statement.

The statement further added, “The Kashmir conflict can’t be resolved through constant killings of ones own citizens and suppression of fundamental rights of people in this country. Kashmir needs a political resolution.”

Seven civilians were killed after armed forces opened fire on civilian protesters near the site of a gunfight in Kharpora Sarnoo village of Pulwama district last week. Three militants and an army man were killed in the gunfight.

National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah while reacting on the killings said that it is a massacre and there is no other way to describe it.

Earlier, Abdullah while reacting to the civilian killings had said that it was ‘another blood soaked weekend in Kashmir‘.

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti while reacting to the civilian killings said that there would be no probe which would bring back the dead. She also asked that ‘is this what was expected from the Governor rule’.

She also said that no country can win a war by killing its own people.

Peoples’ Conference chief Sajad Lone while reacting on the civilian killings said that the administration seriously needs to evaluate the cost of such operations. He added that ‘hope the administration gives up its ‘Rambo mindset‘.

Police, in their statement said that they were ‘deeply grieved’ by the loss of civilian lives, however, claimed that the crowd came ‘dangerously close‘ to the gunfight site

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