Clashes, shutdown as EU MPs land in J&K

Srinagar: Parts of Srinagar erupted on Tuesday as a delegation of 23 European lawmakers arrived in Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital on a two-day visit to assess the situation in the state.

A convoy of security vehicles escorted the Members of European Parliament (MEPs), who were travelling in bullet-proof vehicles, from the airport to their hotel where a traditional Kashmiri welcome awaited them.

This is the first high-level foreign visitors’ delegation to J&K after it was stripped of its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and split into two Union Territories by the Centre on August 5.

The team originally comprised 27 MEPs, drawn mainly from far-right parties of 11 European countries, but four of them opted out at the last minute and have reportedly returned to their respective countries after the authorities refused to permit them to visit places and meet people on their own in the Valley, citing security reasons.

Soon after their arrival here, the EU delegation visited the headquarters of Army’s 15 Corps in Badami Bagh Cantonment where they were served lunch and subsequently briefed on the security situation in the Valley and the Line of Control (LoC) by General Officer Commanding (GOC), Lt. Gen. Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, and his team. Army sources said that the delegation was also apprised of the “constant attempts being made by Pakistan to disturb peace in J&K by pushing in terrorists” and “inciting local youth to violence” at the briefing. The visit set off fresh tensions in the Valley. While a complete shutdown was observed in the Valley, clashes between irate crowds of youth and security forces erupted at dozens of places in Srinagar and elsewhere.

Security forces fired teargas canisters and pellet shotguns at a few places, leaving a large number of people injured. At least, four persons with pellet injuries were admitted to a Srinagar hospital. Another person who had been hit by a stone in the head was brought to the hospital in serious condition. His family alleged that he was targeted by members of a Central armed police force.

People had put up blockades in at least five different places in Srinagar, including Downtown Srinagar and 90 Feet Road. And groups of youth attacked running cars with stones, causing damage to them, witnesses said.

While shopkeepers and other traders did not open their establishments even during the morning hours as they have usually done for past several weeks, the movement of vehicles on the roads was very thin compared to the recent past.

Vendors, who have been setting up their stalls over the past weeks, also did not turn up on Tuesday.

The MEPs were taken boating near the Centaur Hotel, where more than 30 politicians and activists have been under detention since August 5.

Later, at a dinner meeting with top government and security forces officials at a city hotel, the delegation was also told that the security clampdown imposed in the state in August was necessary to maintain law and order and prevent violence. The officials pointed out to the relatively limited number of incidents of violence compared with previous bouts of unrest as a result of this measure. The dinner was hosted by J&K’s chief secretary, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam.

Earlier, local leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also called on the delegation at the hotel they are staying at and told them that the situation in the Valley is “normal” and that people of J&K “want peace and development”.

A group of houseboat owners, representatives of vendors and small-time traders, civil society activists and media persons selected by the official agencies are scheduled to interact with the delegation during their stay here. Media persons were not allowed to meet the delegation members.

A joint delegation of opposition MPs, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, undertaking a visit to Kashmir about two months ago, was not allowed to go beyond the Srinagar airport after their arrival from Delhi and were sent back to the national capital.

The EU embassy in Delhi had on Monday clarified that the members of the delegation were in India in their “personal capacity” and not as part of an official delegation. Reports emanating from Delhi said that they were invited by a local NGO called WESTT, which is hosting them. The NGO is reportedly headed by Indian origin businesswoman, Madi Sharma.

The delegation, comprising MEPs from Italy, Britain, France, Germany and Poland, had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and attended a lunch hosted by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Monday. They also met a few mainstream Kashmiri leaders, including former Minister Muzaffar Beigh from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), former minister Syed Altaf Bukhari, Congress’ Usman Majeed, winners of the Block Development Council polls in J&K last week and some others.

The report said that the Prime Minister expressed the hope that the delegation will have a fruitful visit to various parts of the country, including J&K. An official statement said, “Their visit to Jammu and Kashmir should give the delegation a better understanding of the cultural and religious diversity of the region of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh; apart from giving them a clear view of the development and governance priorities of the region.” The delegation’s visit here is being coordinated with the NSA’s office, official sources said.