The Polit Bureau expresses its serious concern about the situation in Kashmir. In the past few weeks, there have been the deaths of a number of young men and teenagers due to police firing at a number of places in the valley. Beginning with the death of a teenage student, there has been an escalation of protest and confrontation which has led to the loss of eight young lives till June 29. The CPI(M) conveys its heartfelt sympathy to those families who have lost their young ones.
The anger of the people erupted after the first incident. Firm action should be taken by the state government and the Central authorities to curb excessive use of force. Subsequently, deliberate attempts have been made to pit young men against the paramilitary forces and the police. It is essential that the police forces exercise restraint and the youth do not fall prey to the instigation to go in for confrontations with the security forces.
What is evident from these widespread protests across the valley is the deep alienation affecting the people. The UPA government has not taken any step to further the political dialogue towards a settlement of the outstanding issues. It is incumbent upon the UPA government to take immediate steps in this direction.
