<p>Favouring maximum autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, the CPM asked the Centre to initiate unconditional dialogue with all sections of people in the state.<br /><br />“There has to be an immediate end to these brutal and inhuman police firings,” CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat, who was on a two-day Kashmir visit, said at a press conference.<br /><br />He added that there has to be a strict “no firing policy” to face stone-throwing crowds.<br />Twenty-two-year-old Bilal Ahmad Sheikh was injured when police fired at protestors on August 14 at Singhpora Pattan. He was under treatment in a medical institute here but succumbed to his injuries on Monday morning. With his death, the toll in security forces and police firing since June 11 has gone up to 63.<br /><br />Karat expressed shock over the death of 63 young boys and girls in the police firings. “There can be no justification whatsoever for these needless deaths when the protesting youth were only resorting to stone-throwing,” the CPM general secretary said.<br /><br />Expressing sympathy with the bereaved families, he announced Rs 5 lakh from his party’s fund for the treatment of injured in hospitals. Karat also demanded release of all arrested juveniles. “ I also appeal the people, particularly youth, not to resort to violence during protests,” Karat said.<br /><br />The CPM leader also lashed out at the Centre and state government for not handling the situation humanely and described it very unfortunate. He suggested to the government not treat the present situation as mere law and order problem and not to deal it with administrative measures.<br /><br />“The CPM urges the Centre to initiate political dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir with all sections of the people without any pre-condition. This will enable to reach a political settlement of the problem,”Karat said. He favoured maximum autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir in the backdrop of special status of Jammu and Kashmir.<br /><br />Curfew continued to remain in force in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of nine police stations in Srinagar city, Sopore, Bijbehara, Pulwama, Trehgam, Anantnag and some other towns in the Valley. Normal life continued to remain paralysed in Kashmir due to the curfew and general strike called by the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference as part of its “quit Kashmir” programme.</p>
<p>Favouring maximum autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, the CPM asked the Centre to initiate unconditional dialogue with all sections of people in the state.<br /><br />“There has to be an immediate end to these brutal and inhuman police firings,” CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat, who was on a two-day Kashmir visit, said at a press conference.<br /><br />He added that there has to be a strict “no firing policy” to face stone-throwing crowds.<br />Twenty-two-year-old Bilal Ahmad Sheikh was injured when police fired at protestors on August 14 at Singhpora Pattan. He was under treatment in a medical institute here but succumbed to his injuries on Monday morning. With his death, the toll in security forces and police firing since June 11 has gone up to 63.<br /><br />Karat expressed shock over the death of 63 young boys and girls in the police firings. “There can be no justification whatsoever for these needless deaths when the protesting youth were only resorting to stone-throwing,” the CPM general secretary said.<br /><br />Expressing sympathy with the bereaved families, he announced Rs 5 lakh from his party’s fund for the treatment of injured in hospitals. Karat also demanded release of all arrested juveniles. “ I also appeal the people, particularly youth, not to resort to violence during protests,” Karat said.<br /><br />The CPM leader also lashed out at the Centre and state government for not handling the situation humanely and described it very unfortunate. He suggested to the government not treat the present situation as mere law and order problem and not to deal it with administrative measures.<br /><br />“The CPM urges the Centre to initiate political dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir with all sections of the people without any pre-condition. This will enable to reach a political settlement of the problem,”Karat said. He favoured maximum autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir in the backdrop of special status of Jammu and Kashmir.<br /><br />Curfew continued to remain in force in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of nine police stations in Srinagar city, Sopore, Bijbehara, Pulwama, Trehgam, Anantnag and some other towns in the Valley. Normal life continued to remain paralysed in Kashmir due to the curfew and general strike called by the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference as part of its “quit Kashmir” programme.</p>