Kashmir outraged at tourist’s death in stone-pelting
Mainstream, separatist politicians; traders, common people condemn killing
R Thirumaniselvam
Srinagar, May 8: The killing of a tourist from Tamil Nadu in a stone pelting incident here has caused widespread outrage in the Valley with both mainstream and the separatist politicians criticising the attack that took place in Narbal area on Monday.
R Thirumaniselvam, 22, a Chennai resident, suffered head injuries after being hit by a stone when a mob pelted stones on passing vehicles along the Srinagar-Gulmarg road near Narbal on the outskirts of Srinagar yesterday.
He was shifted to super specialty Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar where he later succumbed to a critical head injury.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who went to meet the family at the hospital immediately after she received the news of his demise, fell short of words condoling the family.
“My head hangs in shame,” was all that she could tell the family.
In a statement today, she termed the death of a 22-year-old tourist as the “murder of humanity” and said the incident had rattled the mother in her.
“Those who pick up stones to kill someone have no religion,” an upset Mehbooba said after meeting the victim’s father.
The issue would be discussed and debated on television for days and “we will be silently watching the murder of humanity, which has been unheard of in the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mehbooba was quoted as saying by PTI.
Saying that her head hangs in shame, the Chief Minister questioned the education being imparted to children.
“The mother in me is rattled about the kind of education we are imparting to our next generation,” said the mother of two daughters and the first woman chief minister of the state.
“What are we teaching our children? To pick up stones and kill anyone walking on the road? This is not what our religion Islam preaches. Our religion teaches us to take care of our guests. These people or boys who pick up stones to kill someone have no religion,” Mehbooba added.
She also questioned the role of parents and asked what they were turning their children into.
“Can one imagine that the poor father had kept his entire savings to bring his family to Kashmir and he is now returning with the coffin of his son. Is this what we want?”
Asked whether the incident would have an impact on tourism sector, the Chief Minister said, “I can’t be talking about tourism, it is a basic question about humanity. This can’t be Kashmiryat.”
The incident, she added, will have an impact on the entire concept of Kashmiriyat. “My brother Tasaduq (Mufti, who is the state tourism minister) keeps on saying that it’s not about (tourism) industry but about humanity. We are failing on that.”
Her predecessor, Omar Abdullah, said: “We have killed a tourist by throwing stones at the vehicle he was travelling in. Let’s try and wrap our heads around the fact that we stoned a tourist, a guest, to death while we glorify these stone pelters and their methods.”
“This young man from Chennai died in my constituency & while I don’t support these goons (stone-pelters), their methods or their ideology, I’m deeply, deeply sorry that this happened at all & that too in an area I’ve been proud to represent since 2014,” Omar said.
The National Conference working president also wished speedy recovery to a girl from Handwara who was also injured due to stone-pelting.
“I’m also pained to know that among the injured from the stone pelting in Narbal is a young woman from Handwara in North Kashmir. I pray she & the others injured make a quick recovery,” he said.
Omar also lashed out at the State government saying the PDP-BJP ruling alliance was a failure.
“The J&K Govt has failed, the CM (Mehbooba Mufti) has failed, the BJP-PDP alliance has failed. How much blood will have to be shed in Kashmir before the Hon PM (Narendra Modi) realises the gravity of the situation in J&K? When will enough finally be enough?” he asked.
Veteran separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani while expressing grief over the death of the tourist, said that “we have been shouldering the coffins of our loved ones on daily basis but never can be silent on this indiscipline and hooliganism by some unruly youth.”
In a statement, Geelani said that Kashmir has been bleeding for decades. “…dance of death and destruction is a norm for us. Our fourth generation has grown amidst the barrel of gun. Losing a human life irrespective of its caste, creed, colour, region or religion is sad and painful for us,” he said.
Sympathizing with the bereaved family, he said that words fall short to “console the family for such a tragic loss and we as a nation feel not only sorry but ashamed as well.”
“Tourists are our guests and we should be loyal to our Kashmiri and religious traditions by refraining from harassing them,” Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and JKLF chief Muhammad Yaseen Malik said in a joint statement here.
They said the Valley has for years hosted tourists in the best traditions of Kashmiri hospitality, and the people should refrain from destroying the basic fabric of ‘Kashmiriyat’ in the state.
“Such incidents encourage the attempts of those who present our movement in a bad light internationally,” joint statement added.
Denouncing the incident, MLA Gulmarg Mohammad Abbass Wani said “it is really unfortunate that a tourist vehicle was targeted at Narbal when people of Kashmir have always been known for their hospitality and care and concern for the visitors.”
“People of my constituency Gulmarg and those of other areas in its catchment all the way from Beerwah to Baramulla are completely dependent on tourism, and targeting tourists visiting the resort is a direct attack on the people’s livelihoods,” Wani said, adding that it also brings bad name to entire Kashmir.
“Today our heads hang in shame, for we have not been able to safeguard tourists who are our valued gusts and who certainly have nothing to do with the politics of this place,” MLA Gulmarg said.
“We express serious concern over the death of a 22-year-old tourist from Chennai due to stone-pelting in Budgam. Such unfortunate and condemnable incidents send a wrong message which ultimately damages the interests of the people of the state,” CPI9M) leader and MLA Kulgam M Y Tarigami said.
Such acts only serve the interests of those who want to undermine and ignore the democratic aspiration of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
The common people in the Valley is no less shocked at the incident as a pall of gloom has descended on those depending for the sustenance of their families on tourism.
“What message are we sending out? Those who targeted the tourists cannot be fighting for the rights of Kashmiris. The incident has deeply shocked us all,” said Nazir Ahmad, a hotel owner in north Kashmir’s Sonamarg tourist resort.
People across the state have condemned the incident as “unpardonable”.
“The guilty need to be exposed as they can be anything, but not well wishers of Kashmiris,” said Bashir Ahmad, a university employee here.
“This is a sad incident which should not have happened. Unfortunately, we feel that it will have an impact on the tourist arrivals to Kashmir,” Ashfaq Siddiq, president Travel Agents Association Kashmir (TAAK), was quoted as saying by PTI.
Siddiq said the association believes that the killing of the Chennai youth might be the proverbial final nail in the coffin of tourism in Kashmir.
“There was already an impact. Unfortunately, few incidents in the recent past have had their impact. Naturally, because of this incident, impact will be there especially when certain sections of national media highlight it under a certain agenda. It (the yesterday’s incident), I think, will be the final nail in the coffin,” he said.
The TAAK president said the association has apprehensions of cancellation of bookings by the tourists in the days to come.
“It is obvious that cancellations will happen and there might be some hardline elements who might even call for an absolute boycott of Kashmir,” he said.
Director Tourism Kashmir, Mehmood Shah, while condemning the incident, said the department fears it would negatively impact the arrival of visitors to the Valley.
“It is an unfortunate incident and we are deeply pained. The chief minister late last night only went to see the (victim’s)family to share their grief,” Shah said.
When asked if the incident will have any impact on the number of arrivals to the Valley, he said “absolutely”.
“Absolutely, it will have an impact … cancellations may happen,” the Director Tourism said.
TN CM calls up Mehbooba, seeks help for return of 130 TN tourists
Chennai, May 8 (PTI) A day after a 22-year-old tourist from Tamil Nadu was killed in stone pelting in Kashmir, Chief Minister K Palaniswami today spoke to his counterpart Mehbooba Mufti over the phone and sought her help for the safe return of 130 tourists from his state.
R Thirumaniselvam, a city resident, suffered head injuries after being hit by a stone when a mob went on a rampage near Narbal on the outskirts of Srinagar yesterday.
The chief minister, in an official release, said he had spoken to Mehbooba Mufti and sought her help for the safe return of the 130 tourists.
Condoling Thirumaniselvam’s death, Palaniswami announced a solatium of Rs three lakh to the next of kin.
The chief minister said that on his direction, Tamil Nadu House officials in New Delhi had taken all steps with the help of the Jammu and Kashmir government to bring Tirumani’s body back to the state and for the safe return of the other tourists.
“I asked Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to help officials of the Tamil Nadu government for the safe return of the tourists,” he said.
Tamil Nadu tourists in Jammu and Kashmir may get in touch with officials of the TN House by calling 011-24193450, 24193100 and 24193200, he said.
He requested tourists visiting other states to “plan a safe journey”.
