Conflict
Kulgam carnage: Strongly condemn killing of innocent civilians, bloodshed should end once for all, says Sikh body
Srinagar: Gurmat Taksal, a social and religious organization of Sikhs has strongly condemned the civilian killings at Kulgam.
In a statement Sukhbir Singh khalsa, the head of the organization said, “We strongly condemn the killing of innocent civilians in Kulgam. We share the grief of the families and stand with them in this hour of grief.”
Khalsa added, “The blood shed in Kashmir should end once for all. It pains us to see Kashmiris loosing their near and dears since decades. The Sikhs of Kashmir always stand with our Muslim brothers.”
The statement also pointed out that Kashmir is a disputed territory and it should be solved according to aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Meanwhile a complete shutdown is being observed in Kashmir in the aftermath of seven civilian killings in Kulgam which took place on Sunday. A powerful explosion after a gunfight in Laroo village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district in which three militants were killed led to the death of the civilians.
In Srinagar’s Old City, restrictions were clamped to foil any protests against the Kulgam killings. In Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Saraf Kadal, Maharaj Gunj, Gojwara, Khanyar, Safa Kadal and other areas of the Old City, armed forces were keeping a tight vigil to keep protesters at bay, witnesses said. At many places, forces have laid razor wire to restrict movement of people.
The news about the Kulgam killings spread like wild fire on Sunday and public movement in Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley virtually came to a grinding halt as passenger transport vehicles were rarely moving on very few roads in the Srinagar city.
In a statement on Sunday evening, the Joint Resistance Leadership said that Kashmir has been turned into “a slaughterhouse where no one—young, old, children or women—is safe.”
Calling the Kulgam killings as ‘terrible news’, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked “how long can the ground realities be ignored and living in denial of bad situation in Kashmir.”
“Terrible news coming out from Kulgam.May the deceased find place in Jannat. Alienating the people in the fight against militancy is a sure fire recipe for losing the fight. How long can we go on ignoring the ground realities & living in denial about how bad things are in Kashmir?” Omar wrote on Twitter.
PDP President and former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti also expressed shock over the death of seven civilians and injuries to scores others in Kulgam.
Kashmir Economic Alliance chairperson (KEA) Muhammad Yaseen Khan on Sunday strongly condemned the innocent killings in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district which has left seven civilians dead and dozens seriously injured.
Blaming government forces for carrying a ‘planned massacre’ in state, KTMF president termed it sheer cowardice and an inhuman act.
