<p>Violence in Kashmir has taken on a new dimension, with increasing cases of targeted killing of civilians, citizens belonging to the minority communities and people from other states. Seven civilians have been killed in the past week, including a Kashmiri Pandit businessman who was shot dead in his pharmacy. He had refused to migrate from the Valley when many others had left for Jammu and other places in the 1990s. Others who were killed included a Bihari street-food vendor, a taxi driver, and the principal and a teacher of a school. The principal was a Pandit who had returned to the Valley from Jammu and the teacher was a Sikh. More civilians than security personnel have fallen victim to terrorist violence this year, reversing a trend in the previous years when the security forces or those connected with the government were the main targets. </p>.<p>The Resistance Front (TRF), said to be a front organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba and controlled from Karachi, has claimed responsibility for most of the killings. While it is too early to decide that these are repercussions of the developments in Afghanistan, the incidents belie the government’s claims about the return to normalcy in Kashmir. After the scrapping of Article 370, it had said that Kashmir was on way to the end of militancy. It had resorted to tough security measures and curbs on the freedoms and rights of people. Political activity had been curbed and many leaders held under detention for a long time. Some are still under house arrest and other curbs. But the increasing numbers of violent incidents show that the situation has not improved much in the last two years. </p>.<p>If there is more militant activity inspired by Pakistan, or with direct involvement of elements from there, it is for the government to curb it. It also has the responsibility to increase the participation of people in its efforts to restore peace and normalcy. This has not happened and the people have been more alienated than before in the last two years. Its outreach to political parties and leaders has not been seen as sincere, and the trust deficit between the government on the one side and the political parties and the people on the other has only widened. It should be noted that militancy and terrorism cannot be eliminated unless the reasons that give rise to them are eliminated. The spurt in civilian killings has taken place when a number of Union ministers are on an outreach programme in Kashmir. The minority community and outsiders are scared now. The government should reassure them and ensure their security. </p>
<p>Violence in Kashmir has taken on a new dimension, with increasing cases of targeted killing of civilians, citizens belonging to the minority communities and people from other states. Seven civilians have been killed in the past week, including a Kashmiri Pandit businessman who was shot dead in his pharmacy. He had refused to migrate from the Valley when many others had left for Jammu and other places in the 1990s. Others who were killed included a Bihari street-food vendor, a taxi driver, and the principal and a teacher of a school. The principal was a Pandit who had returned to the Valley from Jammu and the teacher was a Sikh. More civilians than security personnel have fallen victim to terrorist violence this year, reversing a trend in the previous years when the security forces or those connected with the government were the main targets. </p>.<p>The Resistance Front (TRF), said to be a front organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba and controlled from Karachi, has claimed responsibility for most of the killings. While it is too early to decide that these are repercussions of the developments in Afghanistan, the incidents belie the government’s claims about the return to normalcy in Kashmir. After the scrapping of Article 370, it had said that Kashmir was on way to the end of militancy. It had resorted to tough security measures and curbs on the freedoms and rights of people. Political activity had been curbed and many leaders held under detention for a long time. Some are still under house arrest and other curbs. But the increasing numbers of violent incidents show that the situation has not improved much in the last two years. </p>.<p>If there is more militant activity inspired by Pakistan, or with direct involvement of elements from there, it is for the government to curb it. It also has the responsibility to increase the participation of people in its efforts to restore peace and normalcy. This has not happened and the people have been more alienated than before in the last two years. Its outreach to political parties and leaders has not been seen as sincere, and the trust deficit between the government on the one side and the political parties and the people on the other has only widened. It should be noted that militancy and terrorism cannot be eliminated unless the reasons that give rise to them are eliminated. The spurt in civilian killings has taken place when a number of Union ministers are on an outreach programme in Kashmir. The minority community and outsiders are scared now. The government should reassure them and ensure their security. </p>
