DATE=6/19/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43691
TITLE=KASHMIR CROSSFIRE
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=SRINIGAR
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IN KASHMIR, FIGHTING CONTINUES, WITH INDIAN ARMY TROOPS
BATTLING GUERRILLAS INDIA SAYS ARE BACKED BY PAKISTAN. MOST OF
THE FIGHTING IS TAKING PLACE ON STEEP RIDGES HIGH IN THE
HIMALAYAS. BUT THAT IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE IN KASHMIR WHERE
THERE IS CONFLICT. FAR TO THE SOUTH OF THE MOUNTAIN
BATTLEFIELDS, IN THE KASHMIR VALLEY, THERE IS ALSO FIGHTING. AS
V-O-A'S JIM TEEPLE REPORTS, FIGHTING IN THE KASHMIR VALLEY IS
TAKING ITS TOLL ON CIVILIANS TRAPPED BETWEEN INDIAN SECURITY
FORCES AND MILITANT ISLAMIC GUERRILLAS.
TEXT:
// ACTUALITY OF WAILING AND CRYING, IN AND UNDER //
FOR THE WOMEN OF THE VILLAGE OF KHAROGAM, THERE IS LITTLE TO DO
BUT CRY. MANY HAVE LOST EVERYTHING THEY HAVE -- THEIR HOUSES,
THEIR JEWELRY AND THEIR FARM ANIMALS. ALL THEY HAVE LEFT IS
THEIR FAMILIES.
SEVERAL DAYS AGO, KHAROGAM WAS A PROSPEROUS VILLAGE WHERE 500
FAMILIES LIVED. MOST MADE THEIR LIVING WEAVING WORLD-FAMOUS
KASHMIR CARPETS AT A SMALL LOCAL FACTORY. NOW, LIKE JUST ABOUT
EVERYTHING ELSE IN KHAROGAM, THE CARPET FACTORY IS A SMOKING HULK
OF A BUILDING -- TOTALLY DESTROYED. VILLAGERS SAY -- OF 70
STRUCTURES IN KHAROGAM -- 45 ARE GONE, BURNED TO THE GROUND BY AN
ELITE INDIAN ARMY FORCE KNOWN AS THE NAGA TWO.
ACCORDING TO VILLAGERS, INDIAN SECURITY FORCES -- CONSISTING OF
MOSTLY OF ARMY UNITS AND BORDER POLICE -- SURROUNDED KHARAGOM ON
THE NIGHT OF JUNE 14TH. THE TROOPS WERE LOOKING FOR A SMALL
GROUP OF ISLAMIC MILITANTS WHO, ACCORDING TO THE VILLAGERS, WERE
EITHER HIDING IN A VILLAGE HOUSE OR UNDER A BRIDGE. IN THE FIGHT
THAT FOLLOWED, SEVERAL MILITANTS WERE KILLED. ONE CIVILIAN ALSO
DIED, TRAPPED IN CROSSFIRE ON BUS WHICH HAD STOPPED AT THE
VILLAGE.
FOLLOWING THE FIGHT ARMY TROOPS CONDUCTED HOUSE-TO-HOUSE
SEARCHES, LOOKING FOR MILITANTS. VILLAGERS SAY, IN THE PROCESS,
ARMY TROOPS EITHER BURNED DOWN MANY STRUCTURES OR FORCED
VILLAGERS TO SET FIRE TO THEIR OWN HOUSES. LOCAL TEACHER FAYEZ
TILEGARMI SAYS IT TOOK SOME TIME TO DESTROY KHARAGOM.
// TILEGARMI ACTUALITY //
EVERY HOUSE WAS BURNED. FOR TWO DAYS THE FIRE
CONTINUED. YESTERDAY (JUNE 16TH), THE FORCES LEFT THE
VILLAGE AND, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE THERE ARE ANIMALS
KILLED. THE MILITANTS WERE UNDER A BRIDGE THAT'S WHAT
WE TOLD THEM, AND IF YOU SUPPOSE THAT THEY WERE IN A
HOUSE THEN ONE HOUSE SHOULD BE BURNED, IT IS THE WHOLE
VILLAGE THAT HAS BEEN BURNED, THE WHOLE VILLAGE.
// END ACTUALITY //
KHARAGOM IS ABOUT 50 KILOMETERS NORTHWEST OF SRINIGAR, THE SUMMER
CAPITAL OF INDIA'S JAMMU AND KASHMIR STATE. THE VILLAGE IS IN
THE HEART OF THE KASHMIR VALLEY, ABOUT 300 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF
WHERE INDIAN ARMY TROOPS ARE FIGHTING GUERRILLAS ON STEEP
MOUNTAIN RIDGES.
// OPT // KHARAGOM IS SURROUNDED BY APPLE ORCHARDS AND TERRACED
RICE PADDIES. THE AREA LOOKS PROSPEROUS AND PEACEFUL. HOWEVER,
FOR NINE YEARS, INDIAN SECURITY FORCES HAVE BEEN WAGING A FIERCE
FIGHT WITH ISLAMIC MILITANTS THROUGHOUT THE KASHMIR VALLEY. //
END OPT //
THE INDIAN ARMY SAYS IT CANNOT COMMENT ON WHAT HAPPENED IN
KHARAGOM BECAUSE IT HAS NOT YET CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION.
MAJOR P. PUROSHATTAM -- THE INDIAN ARMY SPOKESMAN IN SRINIGAR --
SAYS ARMY POLICY IS TO EVACUATE CIVILIANS BEFORE AN ENCOUNTER
WITH THE MILITANTS.
// PUROSHATTAM ACTUALITY //
EVEN WHERE YOU HAVE HOUSES WHERE THE MILITANTS HAVE BEEN
HIDING, THE OWNERS OF THOSE HOUSES HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT
BEFORE THE ACTUAL ENCOUNTER STARTS -- SOMETIMES AT GREAT
RISK TO THE SOLDIERS, THEMSELVES. THIS HAS BEEN THE
POLICY FOLLOWED ALL THROUGHOUT (THE INSURGENCY) --
TRYING TO GET OUT THE INNOCENT SO THEY DON'T GET
UNNECESSARILY CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE.
// END ACTUALITY //
MAJOR PUROSHATTAM SAYS THE INDIAN ARMY INVESTIGATES INCIDENTS
WHERE TROOPS ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE COMMITTED ABUSES AND TAKES WHAT
HE DESCRIBES AS CORRECTIVE ACTIONS, WHEN NECESSARY.
JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE KHARAGOM WAS DESTROYED, AT LEAST 50 HOUSES
IN THE KASHMIR VALLEY VILLAGE, BANDIPORE, WERE BURNED TO THE
GROUND -- ALLEGEDLY BY MEMBERS OF THE INDIA'S BORDER SECURITY
FORCES ENGAGED IN A FIERCE BATTLE WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF
MILITANTS. FOREIGN JOURNALISTS WHO TRIED TO TRAVEL TO BANDIPORE
WERE TURNED BACK BY POLICE.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN KASHMIR WHO ASK NOT TO BE IDENTIFIED SAY --
EVER SINCE FIGHTING BROKE OUT ALONG THE KARGIL FRONT, 300
KILOMETERS TO THE NORTH -- MILITANTS HAVE STEPPED UP THEIR
ACTIVITIES IN THE KASHMIR VALLEY AND INDIA'S SECURITY FORCES ARE
BECOMING MORE NERVOUS.
// REST OPTIONAL //
IN KHARAGOM, ABDUL MAJID SAYS HE BELIEVES THE SECURITY FORCES WHO
ATTACKED WERE TRYING TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN
THE KASHMIR VALLEY.
// MAJID ACTUALITY //
THEY WANT TO SAY TO EACH COMMON MAN LIVING IN KASHMIR,
IF YOU GO AHEAD WITH THIS MILITANCY WE WILL DO THE SAME,
WITH EACH AND EVERY HOUSE, WITH EACH AND EVERY VILLAGE
OF THE VALLEY.
// END ACTUALITY //
THE RESIDENTS OF KHARAGOM SAY THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY WILL DO
NEXT. THEY SAY THEIR CARPET FACTORY WAS NOT ONLY DESTROYED, BUT
35 VALUABLE CARPETS -- WHICH EACH TAKE SEVEN MONTHS TO WEAVE --
WERE STOLEN BY THE SECURITY FORCES. THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT
OFFERS COMPENSATION TO KASHMIRIS WHO ARE THE VICTIMS OF WHAT ARE
CALLED "CROSSFIRE ATTACKS." HOWEVER, THE RESIDENTS OF KHARAGOM
SAY THE COMPENSATION WILL NEVER ADD UP TO WHAT THEY HAVE LOST.
(SIGNED)
NEB / JLT / WD / WD
19-Jun-99 6:33 AM EDT (1033 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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