Ramban firing incident

The Ramban firing incident refers to the shooting on a protesting crowd of Kashmiri people, by Indian Border Security Forces on 18 July 2013 in the Dharam area of Gool, Ramban district, Jammu & Kashmir.[1] Four people were killed and forty four were injured, according to official sources, although residents claimed that six had been killed.[1]

Incident

The protest started after a religious leader, who had been for offering prayers late at night, had been detained by the BSF the previous day. A small group of protesters visited a nearby construction site where the BSF was stationed, but this soon attracted a larger crowd, and violence broke out around 6:30 on the morning of the 18th, amid rumours that a copy of the Koran had been desecrated.[2]

The protesters surrounded the BSF camp and threw stones; initially the BSF responded by using tear gas, but later opened fire with live rounds, which resulted in the deaths of at least four people and injuring may more.[1]

Reactions

In India

Idrees ul haq, the young innovator of Jammu and Kashmir renounced his Governor's award, on the grounds that the religious and cultural rights of the people of the state had been being violated under the aegis of such legislation as the AFSPA.[3] [4]

Mehbooba Mufti, President of the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party, condemned the shootings as cold-blooded and sadistic, and offered condolences to the families of those hurt and killed in the incident.[5]

In Pakistan

During a media briefing, a Pakistani foreign office spokesman told reporters that the Government of Pakistan had taken notice of the Indian government's position on the incident and called for a "thorough and proper investigation to be carried out expeditiously and for bringing those responsible for this act to justice".[6] The incident was condemned by Pakistani cleric Hafiz Muhammad Saeed on Twitter, who exhorted Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif to take a tougher stance on Kashmir and remarked: "These atrocities on Kashmiris in this sacred month of Ramadan should immediately stop. World community should not remain oblivious".[7] Jamat-ud-Dawa also condemned the firing on Twitter: "India at utter mistake in hoping to suppress Kashmiris...as world sleeps, they continue to 'kill' innocents."[7] Protests were held in Azad Kashmir on 19 July outside a press club in the capital, Muzaffarabad. The protesting rally included members of Kashmiri civil society and political groupings, as well as Jamat-ud-Dawa activists. Dozens of protesters chanted pro-Kashmir and anti-India slogans, while condemning both the killings and the reported desecration of the Quran.[8][9] They also condemned Indian military occupation in Jammu and Kashmir, denouncing their actions as "terrorism," and called upon Islamabad to take a stand against New Delhi.[8] Veteran Kashmiri politician and Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly opposition leader Farooq Haider Khan held a telephone conference regarding the incident with Tariq Fatimi, Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister of Pakistan.[9]

Investigation

India's Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde ordered an investigation into the shooting and appealed for calm.[10][11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "BSF firing kills 4 in J&K after clash over prayer timing". Hindustan Times. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  2. ↑ Swami, Praveen (20 July 2013). "Ramban firing reveals the fading communal politics of Kashmir - Firstpost". First Post. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "Young Innovator Renounces State Award". Greater Kashmir. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Youth Returns State Award to protest gool firing". Kashmir Times. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Mehbooba condemns Gool killings". Kashmir Times. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Foreign Office briefing: Pakistan ‘deeply concerned’ over Indian Kashmir violence". The Express Tribune. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Tension prevails in Ramban after death of locals in firing by BSF". Times of India. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  8. 1 2 "Kashmir killings spark protest". Dawn. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  9. 1 2 "Ramban incidents: Protest against killing of four in Indian-held Kashmir". The Express Tribune. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "Indian forces shoot dead six protesters in Kashmir: police". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Indian forces shoot dead six protesters in Kashmir". Google News. Retrieved 19 July 2013.

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