From: jakhan@IASTATE.EDU (Javed Ahmed Khan)
Subject: Re: Kashmir massacre (?)
Reply-To: jakhan@IASTATE.EDU (Javed Ahmed Khan)
Organization: Iowa State University
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 16:06:24 GMT

In article <1ij7hvINN34t@charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu>, vivek@ecst.csuchico.edu
(Vivek R. Prabhu) writes:
> In article <1iil9oINN3v1@roundup.crhc.uiuc.edu> sunder@grusin.crhc.uiuc.edu
(Srinivas Sunder) writes:
> >In article <Hqd=Rp-@engin.umich.edu>, sudhama@engin.umich.edu (Sudhama
Gopalan) writes:
> >|> For two days now, AP and UPI have been carrying conflicting versions of
the 
> >|> killings in Kashmir. This shows exactly how biased some news agencies are
today.
> >|> It would seem likely that only one of the two versions is true - either
there
> >|> was a massacre or there was an explosives dump fire. But then notice the
slant
> >|> the two news agencies have. Obviously, they toe the line of their owners
-
> >|> whoever they may be. One has implicit faith in Indian Govt press releases;
the
> >|> other does'nt. Who is right? Who knows?
> >
> >I don't think that there was any obvious bias. The report that was posted on
the net
> >by Bala (the AP version) had all the hallmarks of an on-the-spot report, and
> >hence gave a version that we later knew turned out to be closer to the truth
> >(i.e. that there was a massacre or at least that the security forces had run
> >amuck). The later version making it out to be a fire was from New Delhi and
> >quoted from Govt. reports, with stuff like "...authorities said," and "...
> >according to a statement released in New Delhi."
> 


Vivek,

Hope you wouldn't mind me disagreeing with a little with what you've written :)


> 
> The truth is somewhere in the middle. It is indeed hard to believe the 
> fact that the Security forces, would have indulged in such a massacre,
> since there has been plenty of annoyance,  and resentment against such
> actions by them in the past, particularly w.r.t. Punjab. 
> 


The (BSF or other) jawans on the ground have really not shown such political
acumen in the past and I would be skeptical they would have shown it this time;
Punjab notwithstanding. 



> In fact, in Kashmir, the security forces, have been specially directed
> to be humane in their approach, since Girish Saxena, is a man who does
> not tolerate any excesses by the troops there.  He has been consistent
> in taking action against any erring security personnel,  no matter how
> mild a charge has been against them. 



I don't recall reading reports of a dressing down given by Saxena in the
past. Do you remember any instance?




> 
> From the reports, it is therefore, quite evident, that it was a battle
> between the terrorists, and the security forces, which resulted in the
> blaze in the explosive dump. 


Its difficult to determine which with such conflicting reports. The policy
of restricting access to the press and human-rights organizations to the
valley leads to greater confusion and is part of the problem. 

Suppose the security did indulge in the massacre, trying to brush it under the
carpet is not going to win the population to our side. It only brings the
problem to a point of no return. Acknowledging our mistakes and bringing to
light the atrocities perpetrated by the millitants is a more honest way of
convincing the common man that we are not out to sunjugate them. Duping
ourselves in believing that the govt. or the security forces are angels and
giving them a free hand is not going to solve the problem. We as citizens have
to convince ourselves that the govt. forces are on the side of truth and 
righteousness. The press must be allowed to gain access to the valley.




> 
> You have to remember one thing, if the security forces would have been
> involved in the massacres which have been alleged to have been done by
> them, then they would have constantly alienated the entire populace by 
> now, and would have been totally unable, to gain the kind of successes 
> gained by them so far. Notable among which have been,  the destruction 



Going by the trickle of news coming out, I would tend to believe that the
population out there are fed up with both the militants and the govt. forces.
They are trapped in the cross fire and they the the losers in all cases.




> of the Ikwan-El-Muslimeen, led by the dreaded Yasin Bhat,  who himself
> has been liquidated. Also notable has been the fact that in the valley
> of Srinagar, people are still able to get most of their work done, and
> the security forces have indeed, been successful in instilling a sense 
> of safety in the residents there. The success of the security forces's
> manifested in the great deal of desperation,  that the Pakistanis have 
> had to muster to try and scout for more recruits to fuel the terrorist
> movement, which is definitely losing its cutting edge. Actually it had
> lost its cutting edge by last July itself, when the total and complete
> criminalization of the terrorist movement, in place of its ideological
> guide had taken place.
> 
> Regards,
> Vivek.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> vivek@cscihp.ecst.csuchico.edu (Vivek R. Prabhu),
> Research Assistant, Systems Engineering Lab., Dept. Of Computer Science, 
> School Of Engineering, Computer Science And Technology,
> California State University, Chico, California.




--Javed.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,soc.culture.pakistan