Kashmiris will no longer tolerate violence: Sajad Lone on Pahalgam attack

Former minister Lone, whose father Abdul Gani Lone was killed by terrorists, said violence once had social acceptance in Kashmir but that changed after the Pahalgam incident

The barbaric attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam has awakened the people of Kashmir, who will no longer tolerate violence, Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone said on Monday.

Speaking on a resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to condemn the April 22 terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, Lone asserted that the people must be engaged positively rather than pushed back by punitive actions.

He said several areas of Jammu and Kashmir are earning their livelihoods from the tourism sector, and the dastardly terror attack was a direct attempt to uproot a generation.

"We are thankful to our nation, which woke up after 35 years to unequivocally condemn the attack on our guests.

"Leaving politics aside, I am of the opinion that the violence has some sort of acceptance in our society as some people have accepted it as a legitimate thing, but their number is continuously declining," Lone said.

A former minister whose father and Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone was also assassinated by terrorists, Lone said there was a social sanctity to violence in the Kashmiri society, but that has changed post the Pahalgam incident.

"We saw people coming out in every nook and corner to mark the social stigmatisation of violence. The people are no more ready to accept the violence this is the start of the end of social sanctity of violence," he said.

However, he asserted that there is a need to create such an atmosphere where the mindset linked to the social sanctity of violence must be changed.

"The biggest challenge for the law enforcers in the last 37 years was, at times, not being able to distinguish between an innocent and a terrorist. For capturing a terrorist, we have seen four innocents getting killed and villages burnt down in the past three decades, he said.

Lone requested that the law enforcement agencies not do anything intentionally or unintentionally where a mindset is forced on people against their wishes.

"I do not want to make any accusation against anyone, but people like Syed Adil Hussain Shah, who sacrificed his life saving tourists, need to be created in thousands. Police and army have a limited role as it is the inhabitants of this place who will eventually defeat violence. The law enforcers can only contain violence," he said.

Lone, a former minister, said the atmosphere in the country changed altogether after lakhs of people came out against the terror attack, but we need to make necessary corrections to keep the tempo (against terrorism) going and also engage all the stakeholders in a positive manner.

Lone also paid tributes to the victims of the attack and lauded their family members for showing maturity and making statements that lowered tempers across the country.

He also hailed the Kashmiri youngsters who, without caring for their lives, helped the tourists after the terror attack.

CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami cautioned people against the Hindu-Muslim divide and said the terrorists have no religion, as was evident from the fact that the majority of the people who lost their lives in the last 35 years are Muslims.

He asked people not to fall prey to the propaganda of the vested interests and uphold their unity at all costs to defeat terrorism.

National Conference MLA from Pahalgam, Altaf Ahmad Wani, said that after 25 years, such an incident has happened, and no words are enough to condemn this brutal act. He said the people of Kashmir, especially Pahalgam, need to be appreciated for providing selfless services and care to the injured tourists and others.

PDP's Waheed ur Rehman Parra said the Pahalgam incident is a crime against humanity and not only a terrorist act.

People from all walks of Kashmir condemned it and showed that we are against terrorism through a series of peaceful rallies and candlelight marches, he said, and sought martyr status for the victims.