Trickle of refugees became a torrent
The kidnappers had freed Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s daughter in December 1989 in exchange for the release of some terrorists under detention. The release had led to large-scale jubilation in Srinagar. Groups of young hooligans were going around forcing liquor shops, cinema halls, beauty parlours, etc., to shut down. Lawlessness prevailed in the town and in some other parts of the Kashmir valley.As an annual routine, the state government had shifted from Srinagar to Jammu for the winter months. I was commanding the Army’s corps responsible for the Jammu region. I had gone to the state headquarters for a courtesy call on the Chief Minister.When I reached there, he was holding a conference with his officers. The PA informed him of my arrival. The CM came out to meet me and suggested that I join the conference. The CM and his team of officers were discussing the breakdown of law and order in Srinagar and a few other places. I was taken aback at the helplessness and paralysis that had gripped those in the conference room. They appeared to be at a complete loss as to what to do to restore order.Sometime later, the situation further deteriorated and when the first batch of Pandits evacuated from the Valley arrived in Jammu, there was palpable unrest in the town. The refugees were camped outside Nagrota Cantt. I went across to the Governor, Jagmohan (there was Governor’s rule in the state), and impressed upon him the need to restore order in the Valley. The Army could be called.I told him that when the holy relic from Hazratbal mosque was found missing, a crowd of nearly quarter of a million had assembled in Srinagar town and set fire to a police station, tehsil office and the CM’s hotel under construction. The crowd set on fire brigade vehicles too. A call was then made to the Army for the fire brigade. We sent the ordnance depot fire brigade vehicles along with a fully armed infantry platoon. While the crowd stayed around, no one ventured to get near the Army fire-fighting vehicles.Because of winter, the state government had moved to Jammu. The situation in Srinagar was beyond the control of the civil administration. That evening, we received a letter from the state commissioner, in which he handed over Srinagar to the Army.Since we had only one battalion in Srinagar, two more battalions were brought overnight from Baramulla. Complete order was restored in the town. Though the crowds kept gathering over the next three days, there was no untoward incident.I further told the Governor that if refugee camps are to be established, these should be set up in the Valley, and not outside. Jagmohan listened but said nothing and subsequently did nothing, while that trickle of refugees soon became a torrent.
