IN a statement issued on December 15 expressing pain and sorrow over the brutal killing of civilians by security forces at Kharpora Sirnoo village of Pulwama district, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said for the BJP, Kashmir is expendable for its narrow electoral interests.

This horrible incident which took place on December 15, is a big shock and setback to any effort to restore peace in the valley. The civilian killings have become everyday norm in Kashmir now and it seems New Delhi is least bothered about this. Condemnation and ordering a probe after every killing is not enough.  What is required is making security forces accountable and punishing those responsible for such unfortunate killings.

There is a need for bold initiatives, but the record of the present regime in Delhi is not only disappointing, it has also added fuel to the fire because of its erroneous policies vis-à-vis Kashmir.  BJP regime in New Delhi has been treating Kashmir as only a security problem instead of having political approach to address the issues.

The youngsters have been pushed to the wall due to the mistakes and mishandling of Kashmir by the BJP government. Given the rising toll of casualties and no visible efforts by New Delhi to hold meaningful dialogue, there is apprehension that the situation may worsen further.

Expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, the CPI(M) demanded immediate steps for identifying those responsible for these killings so as to ensure that they are punished under law. CPI(M) reiterated that violence in any form doesn’t help in seeking solutions to the problems. Whether a civilian is killed by the bullet from one side or the other, it is loss of precious human life.