No Ramzan truce on the anvil in J&K

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 5

The Centre is not considering any proposal to announce a Ramzan ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir this year, it is learnt, as it does not want a repeat of last year when the ceasefire by the security forces had spawned a fresh phase of violence.

Sources said the Centre  did not want to put brakes on the anti-militancy operations, though it would respect the sanctity of the month of fasting commencing on Monday or Tuesday, depending on the sighting of moon.

Citing last year’s experience, sources said the militants did not reciprocate the government’s gesture and continued to indulge in violence. 

“Against the backdrop of that bitter experience, the Centre has no proposal to repeat the mistake, as it took a lot of time for the forces to achieve the pre-Ramzan level intensity of the anti-militancy operations,” sources said,

They cited instances of the killing of noted journalist Shujaat Bukhari and soldier Aurangzeb. “These incidents and repeated attacks on security forces proved that militants had no intention of reciprocating the peace gesture.”

Yesterday, PDP president and former CM Mehbooba Mufti had urged the Centre to announce a ceasefire for the month of Ramzan. She had also appealed to the militants not to conduct attacks. Within hours, militants gunned down BJP leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir in Anantnag.