Click to play videoNew Delhi: There has been no let up in the ongoing crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, boiling over with agitation on the Amarnath land transfer row, with Srinagar being shut down again on Thursday.
Fresh violence was reported from downtown Srinagar where protestors threw stones at security forces.
The violence was sparked off by reports that JKLF leader, Yasin Malik's health has been declining. Malik has been on a hunger strike for the past two days and has been unwell for several years as well.
To make matters worse, he has reportedly not been taking his medicines for the past two days.
"His condition isn't good as he is already a heart patient. His blood pressure has decreased to 90/60, as he has stopped taking the medicines. It would lead to thickening of his blood which could prove fatal," his doctor told reporters.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have forcibly moved Yasin Malik to a hospital.
Meanwhile, in fresh attempt to restore peace, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra on Wednesday appointed a four-member team to talk to the protestors and end the month-long stalemate in the state.
The committee comprises of former Chief Secretary of the state S S Bollowria, Vice Chancellor of Jammu University Amitabh Mattoo, retired judge of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Justice G D Sharma and Principal Secretary to the Governor B B Vyas, official sources were quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
The committee has been authorised to hold talks with the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti (SASS) to end the stalemate which has been assuming dangerous dimensions with a threat of communal backlash looming large.
It was not immediately clear whether the SASS, which is spearheading the agitation, would hold talks. The protestors have already rejected the offer of the Governor to hold talks.
Reacting to the fresh offer, SASS Convenor Leela Karan Sharma was quoted by PTI as saying that the Samiiti would weigh what the new committee had on offer to address to the sentiments of the people of Jammu region.
"We need to know the answer as to what was the problem in handing over the land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. The agitation will continue in one form or the other till the aspirations of the people of the region. It is high time the Centre realises that people in Jammu are also a part of the national mainstream," Sharma was quoted by PTI as saying.
All-Party Meet Appeals For Peace
An all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday appealed for peace in a desperate bid to end the state's worst communal divide in six decades that has claimed at least 14 lives in more than a month.
Even as the Government did not rule out the possibility of transferring land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, violence escalated and a general shutdown was called by separatists, throwing normal life out of gear in Kashmir Valley.
"We are not ruling out the possibility of transferring land," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said after the all-party meeting that was attended by representatives of 36 parties including all the major ones from Kashmir.
According to Mukherjee, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad briefed the meeting "on the facilities created, presently and proposed for the pilgrims of the Amarnath yatra".
"The Government agreed that all necessary facilities for the Amarnath pilgrims would be provided," Mukherjee said.
Three parties - Tamil Nadu's MDMK, the Kerala Congress and the Sikkim Democratic Front did not attend it. However, Mukherjee said BJP representatives - Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Jaswant Singh - were "supportive" during the meeting.
Mukherjee also ruled out the recall of Governor N N Vohra that has been demanded by Hindu organisations in the Valley.
Meanwhile, authorities have strengthened the deployment of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force and the police throughout Srinagar to prevent more violent protests.
The Cause of Unrest
The allotment of 40 hectares of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board earlier this year had angered the Muslim-majority Valley and the revocation of the order on July 1 sparked violent protests in the Hindu-dominated Jammu region.
The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board manages the pilgrimage to the high altitude shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Fourteen people in both regions have already died in clashes that have acquired a communal edge and protests, violence and shutdowns have become a daily occurrence.
To manage the situation, eight of the 10 members of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board stepped down to facilitate a possible reconstitution of the temple trust that has been at the heart of the over a month-long stir.
The members have tendered their resignations to Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, who is ex-officio chairman of the trust, highly placed sources were quoted by agencies as saying.
"The resignations are under the consideration of the governor," said a spokesman of the SASB.
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