Jammu, Aug 8: The discrimination of Indian government with Jammu came to fore today when the GOC Rising Star openly threatened Jammuites of killing them even if they carry the tri-colour and shout pro-India slogans while he forgot that never has army been so forthright in its statements in Kashmir.
While Jammuites who are fighting a nationalist cause carrying national flags are being killed now even by Indian army even as these same men could not remove the Pakistani and terrorist flags from Lal Chowk for three days recently in Srinagar.
Jammuites who till recently were hailing army are in a shock after this statement as they were expecting some sort of soft attitude by the commander as Army has proved more brutal than the state police during the past few days. With some people comparing Lt Gen Vinay Sharma with Gen Dyer of Jalianwala fame
Army has taken the entire city hostage by not allowing the residents even to venture out of their house by putting barbed wires even in front of the gates of many residents while misbehavior by army men is a common sight now with army officers not even sparing senior journalists by snatching valid curfew passes of the magistrate.
However today it was clear that central government has even directed Indian Army to crush Jammuites at any cost to please Kashmiris which was evident from the language used by Lt Gen Vinay Sharma for nationalist Jammuites who refused to accept that army was harassing residents by raiding their houses, beating up women and not honoring Magistrate’s curfew passes.
Meanwhile equating the pro-India protests of Jammu with those of the anti national elements, Army toughens its stance on the agitation of Jammu people demanding revocation of land to Shri Amaranath Shrine Board while saying that it does not see any difference in the acts that may benefit the terrorists, who reportedly are planning to disrupt the sensitive time of 15th August, the Independence Day in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lt Gen Vinay Sharma, Corps Commander 9 Corps speaking to press personnel in Jammu on Friday unexpectedly equated the nationalist protesters of Jammu demanding revocation of land to SASB with those of the anti national elements unfurling Pak flags and demanding separation from India, when he said that anyone disrupting the smooth flow of transport and damaging the public property would be dealt with severely as the army is bound by its constitutional obligations to perform its duties, which has been called in at the request of civilian government in Jammu.
Refuting all charges that army deployed in Jammu to maintain law-n-order and protect the lives and properties of people is harassing the common people by creating number of barricades, deflating tyres of parked vehicles and entering into the houses of civilians during night hours, the Corps Commander brushed all these charges and said that army has to play its role, whosoever may confront it. He said that the firing incident that took place in Pali morh in Kathua was an act to save the situation from worsening further and the fire that killed a civilian was below the chest.
Lt Gen Vinay Sharma said that soon it received the reports that some elements have resorted to economic bloackade, it soon plunged into action and restored the supplies. He said that it was only on first of August the the national highway remained blocked. "Before that 1150 trucks used to ply on the national highway to carry the essential commodities and after that at least 500 trucks ply on NH1 and carry supplies to Kashmir every day".
Commenting on the sensitivity of the State, the Corps Commander said that there are reports that terrorists may strike on the sensitive day of 15th August, the independence day of India. "Our biggest fear is that terrorists could trigger blasts among the protesters and cause huge loss to the life and property of the people," Lt Gen Vinay Sharma, general officer commanding 9 Corps, said. Army personnel are deployed from Lakhanpur, which is considered the gateway to the state, to Jammu and the soldiers are guarding the Jammu-Pathankot highway and the railway track in the area. Sharma said that the protesters were perhaps not aware of the designs of the terrorists. "They (terrorists) can go to any extent to cause damage to the people," he said. He made it clear that the soldiers would be on streets and highways only as long as the situation requires. "Once the situation stabilises, we will be back to our places," Sharma said.
Refusing to narrate the number of army personnel deployed in Jammu, the Corps Commander said that the number depends on the area it operates. He however said that the army personnel are essentially deployed on the national highway to ensure security of trucks and passengers. About 10,000 soldiers from 9 Corps are out in Jammu and there are reports that They are essentially providing security to trucks and passenger vehicles entering the state. "There is no economic blockade. There is no truth in these expressions," he said. Several leaders in Kashmir are using the phrase "economic blockade" to fuel tensions in the Kashmir valley, leaders in Jammu said.