What kept north Kashmir calm after Burhan Wani’s killing?

A detailed look at the security forces' response during recent unrest in Kashmir following Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's killing shows that deft handling and extra restraint by the Army avoided the scale of casualties and helped keep north Kashmir comparatively calm than south Kashmir, where most of the deaths were reported.

Nearly 50 deaths occurred in security forces' firing during the latest protests, raising questions on the handling of the situation by CRPF and state police, even as the Army, which is the usual suspect, exercised matured response.

Besides political engagement, constructive engagement efforts at the level of the forces have helped diffuse volatile situations.

dna has learnt that at several places in rural districts, Army officials, after taking the locals into confidence, allow protests in designated places. Such moves have led to relatively peaceful protests unlike when the protests have been disallowed completely. The latter has led to severe stone pelting and then killings in response by security forces.

Sources cited another instance where Army has been able to handle situations maturely. In lieu of letting the peaceful protests happen, it negotiated with locals asking them not to create obstacles for Army's ration procurement from Rawalpora for its camp at Rangret at the old airport base in Srinagar.

A recent critical situation when 5,000 protestors gathered at the Awantipura Air-Force base was handled peacefully too after officials engaged local community leaders and got the mob dispersed.

What works further in north Kashmir's favour is that it comprises mainly the rural areas unlike South Kashmir. "These areas see less violent eruptions by locals unlike in the town areas – Kulgam, Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian – which saw massive protests after Wani's killings," said a senior Army official at headquarters here.

Sources in the security establishment also pointed that stress level among the jawans of the paramilitary force CRPF is found to be more than in Army. A CRPF jawan posted in Kashmir has prolonged postings in comparison to the Army jawan, they added.

Deaths though, have happened in Army firing too.

On July 18, two persons including a woman died after army fired at protesters in at Qazigund in south Kahsmir's Anantnag. Similarly, on July 16, a mob protesting Wani's killing stormed a security camp at Saderkote village in north Kashmir's Bandipore forcing Army to open fire. This led to three civilians getting injured but no deaths.

Earlier on April 12, two youths were killed and two others injured during when clashes broke out between security forces and civilians in north Kashmir's Handwara following accusations of molestation of a girl by an Army jawan.

Also, Army is facing huge protests at Drugmulla area of north Kashmir's Kupwara district. At Drugmulla, the Army has one of its oldest camps in Kashmir and enjoyed locals' confidence even at the height of militancy in the valley.