Minority business community threatens to move out of Kishtwar Although the administration claimed that prompt action had

been taken as soon as violence started, members of the minority community alleged that for nine hours , there was no control on rioters, who indulged in looting and torching their bu siness establishments. Members of the minority business community in Kishtwar have threatened to move o ut of the area unless the state government took steps to provide security and pa y compensation to them following the communal clashes, which broke out in the to wn on Eid. We want security and licenced weapons. The government should also compensate us f or our losses in the arson on Friday, said Rakesh Gupta, president of the Kishtwa r Chamber of Commerce. Gupta alleged that members of the minority business commu nity had incurred losses of a total Rs 80 crore in the clashes. If the governmen t fails to fulfill our demands, we will migrate away from Kishtwar. We have been facing such attacks repeatedly, said Gupta, who lost his garment showroom in the arson. Such clashes are not a new thing for us. We have faced such cases in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008, but they were of a lesser magnitude, he said. Over 150 small and big business establishments were affected in the clashes, he said. But the government will pay compensation of a few lakhs only and that is it , Gupta said. A total of 68 shops, seven hotels and 35 vehicles were damaged in the violence w hich also led to three casualties, Jammu Divisional Commissioner Shantmanu said. I have lost my entire business in a fire triggered by miscreants. Its value was o ver Rs 20 lakh and it was my livelihood, said Khushi Ram Shan, whose two shops de aling with plywood retail and hardware was burnt down on Friday. Vijay Kumar Parihar, who had recently obtained a loan to set up an eatery, was c ursing himself for having opened a business in Kishtwar. My shop was set on fire and my dream project is no more , he said. Meanwhile, Principal Secretary (Home) Suresh Kumar told reporters that there was no threat of migration . We will take confidence building measures and provide sec urity wherever needed, Kumar had said. According to local residents, minister of state for Home Sajjad Kitchloo had alle gedly masterminded the attack on minority people. A conspiracy theory has brough t him under cloud. All this happened when Kitchloo was present in Kishtwar and h is role should be probed, Naresh Gupta, the Congress MLC from Bhaderwah, said and added From where did the rioters get guns? Why was curfew not imposed and implem ented effectively on time to prevent loss of life and property . He questioned Kitchloo for turning down suggestions of the state administration to impose curfew on Eid day and lashed out at the state government for total admi nistrative failure in dealing with communal clashes in Kishtwar. There was complete failure of civil and police administration in Kishtwar. They have no liaison with the people. No one was ready to meet them. This had aggrava ted the tensions and was the major reason for indefinite curfew for five consecu tive days, the people said. Minorities have, meanwhile, decided that no individual or organisation will meet authorities or any delegation separately. The delegation would meet only under the aegis of Sanatan Dharam Sabha with representation of all parties and organis ations, they said and warned the administration for trying to strike balance whi

le making arrests in rioting cases . Condemning the killing, looting and vandalising of property of minorities in Kis htwar town, State VHP president Dr. Ramakant Dubey had asked that 100% compensat ion should be provided to the affected persons. Dubey had also demanded arrest of Shahad Kichloo, son of Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, w ho was directly involved in instigation and provocation of the mobs during the e ntire episode. He demanded that a case of conspiring and instigating people shou ld be registered against him. Talking to Organiser, Dubey blamed that in Jammu, some police persons were incit ing the people who were peacefully agitating against this communal violence in K ishtwar, as some of them are surrendered militants who have been inducted in the state police. In a bid to repeat 1990 when hundreds of thousand Kashmiri Pandits were forced t o leave their homes and hearths in Kashmir Valley, Omar Abdullah led NC-Congres s collision government allowed the antinational elements to raid Hindus in Kisht war leading to communal tension in Jammu and Kashmir. (KSK)

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