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Srinagar:
For once, it was not in the news. The Kashmir Valley was quiet
Thursday but for people who have seen strife for so many years,
the serial bombings in Mumbai were another reminder that terror
could achieve nothing but death and destruction, that violence
could never succeed.
A day after a series of blasts rocked India's financial capital,
killing 17 people and injuring 131, the sense of empathy was
palpable.
"Death, bomb blasts, injuries and things like these are always
very disturbing for us. We have seen these things from close
quarters and suffered them for more than two decades," said
Muzaffar Ahmad, 49, a college teacher here.
"Violence leads nowhere. It just brings more misery in the lives
of those who are already suffering," Ahmad added.
After three years of continued unrest, Kashmir is seeing a normal
summer. And the importance of peace cannot be overstated, say
locals.
"Allah should give wisdom to those who believe objectives can be
met by resorting to violence. Has anything ever been achieved by
violence," asked Bashir Ahmad, 59, a retired government official
here.
"The doctrine of bringing governments down on their knees through
terrorising the common man has failed everywhere in the modern
world. It is like trying to make peace hostage by guaranteeing it
after the dictates of the gun are accepted. It is outdated,
archaic and barbaric. It won't succeed," Ahmad declared.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also spoke out
against the the swirling rumours.
He said it was yet to be known who was behind the Mumbai blasts.
Abdullah wrote on the microblogging site Twitter: "I've heard
everything from I.M. (Indian Mujaheedin) to a Kashmir based LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba)
module & a whole lot of groups in between but the truth is WE
DON'T KNOW as yet."
In yet another tweet about the Mumbai blasts, he wrote: "Can we
have a little more of facts & a little less of rumours about who
is behind the attack. If we don't know as yet, let's say we don't
know."
On the streets, it was business as usual with police saying
security was already on maximum alert.
"We are already on high alert and there is no need for any further
beefing up," said a senior police officer.
"Life is moving about normally here. Children have gone to the
school after their summer recess today and that is it," said
Muhammad Shafi, 48, a businessman.
The Amarnath pilgrimage, which has seen 300,000 devotees trek to
the high altitude cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, also
continued as normal.
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