Summary Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Kasmir visit provokes sharp reactions from separatist groups.
SRINAGAR (Dunya News) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Kashmir on Friday amid a shutdown called by separatists and Muslim groups. Tight security measures have been ensured on the eve of Modi’s visit. Additional checkpoints have been set up along highways and in the main city of Srinagar to protect against the threatened militant attacks. The city dons a deserted look as vehicular traffic remains sparse on the city roads.
He is set to inaugurate a 240 MW hydro-power in the border town of Uri in Baramulla district.
Modi is also chairing a high level security review meeting at Badami Bagh headquarters of Army’s 15th corps in Srinagar. The meeting would be attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, GOC-n-C army s northern command Lieutenant General D.S. Hooda, state Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar, GOCs of 14th, 15th and 16th corps, senior officials of central and state intelligence agencies besides those from central paramilitary forces.
Earlier on Friday morning Modi flagged off the inaugural train from the newly built Katra railway station, the base camp of Vaishno devi shrine to Udhampur. The Indian PM suggested Shreeshakti express as the name for the new train and said the rail link will help in the development of Jammu.
The train provides a direct link between Mata Vaishno Devi temple with the rest of the country. "This is a facility not only for the people of Jammu and Kashmir but also for the people of India, who want to visit Jammu and Kashmir," said Modi.
This is Modi’s first visit to Kashmir after swearing in as a prime minister on May 26. Bharatiya Janata Party strongly opposes any special status for Kashmir.
On Thursday, influential separatist groups warned the central government against the decision to create a separate settlement for migrant Kashmiri pandits in the Kashmir valley. Mufti Bashir-ud-Din who is a grand mufti of Kashmir and hails from Majlis Itihad-e-Milat, a representative body of many religious groups including Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamiat-e-Ahli Hadees, has expressed strong disapproval of any separate settlements for Kashmiri Pandits. The mufti said that 850 hectares of land has been set apart for Pandits that can split the Kashmiri society on religious lines. The separatists including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik and Shabir Ahmad Shah, in response have called a Valley wide shutdown on Friday.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan while both claim the region in full yet administer separate partial areas. India and Pakistan have fought three wars over its control. However, within Kashmir, an armed rebellion against Indian rule by different rebel groups seeking independence has left hundreds of thousands dead since 1989.
Indian Kashmir is now one of the most heavily militarized zones in the world. Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain said on Monday that the coutry wants to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the people of Kashmir and UN resolutions. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to India to attend the swearing in ceremony of Narendra Modi is indicative of his desires to foster peaceful relations with India, he added.
According to media reports, Modi is keen to improve the trade links across the LOC which divides Indian and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. One of these measures would be the re-instatement of a cross border phone link which was suspended by New Delhi at the time of insurgency.
