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| Curfew in J&K's Buddhist-dominated Zanskar area | | | Jammu: Curfew was imposed in the Zanskar sub-division of Kargil district after large-scale violence and protests erupted heer on Saturday evening by local Buddhists against the alleged abduction of an 18-year-old girl of their community by a Muslim man. However, the police said the girl, who had been handed over to her parents, has admitted before the magistrate that she had eloped with her consent but then decided to stay back with her parents.
The unrest started on July 17 when the news of alleged abduction of Buddhist girl by Mohammad Khan, working in Ladakh Scouts, surfaced in Padum town, the main town of Zanskar sub-division, about 200-km from Kargil town, and people came out to protest.
A formal complaint was lodged by the girl's parents and a police party was send to Kashmir on July 18, who nabbed the girl and accused from Mehjoor Nagar area of Srinagar city. They were brought back to Kargil the next evening and escorted to Padum by the police on July 20.
The locals when heard the news of girl's arrival assembled about 10-km ahead of the town and demanded that the should be handed over to them.
However, the police changed their route to reach Padum police station after they received information about the presence of a agitated mob waiting for the girl's arrival.
Later, a large number of protestors gheraoed the police station.
The police told the protestors that the girl has to be taken before the local magistrate before being handed back and there was some altercation.
The protestors then started throwing stones and also torched two police vehicles. Three police personnel were injured in the clash. The police first fired tear gas shells and then some rounds to disperse the agitated mob. However, as the situation turned more violent curfew was imposed.
According to reports, some police personnel also broke window panes of homes and restaurants.
However, Ladakah Buddhist Association (LBA) had alleged that Sunni muslims ransacked the properties of Buddhist.
SP and deputy commissioner Kargil rushed to Padum.
“The girl was handed over after she recorded her statement before a magisterial court and accused was arrested. Curfew has been imposed though the situation is normal,” said SP Kargil Sujeet Kumar.
Local Buddhist said, had the police handed over the girl to her parents earlier, the situation wouldn’t have had turned violent. But the police said they couldn’t do so without proper formalities.
BJP MP Tarun Vijay had condemned the incident and
said home minister must visit Zanskar to meet the Buddhist, who are already hurt by the blast in Bodh Gaya, considered Mecca of the buddhists.
LBA in its memorandum to the President had appealed to make personal intervention and direct the home minister to pay a visit there. It has been alleged in the memorandum that Buddhist in Zanskar are being deliberately persecuted.
Zanskar with a population of 15,000 buddhist is the only Buddhist dominated area in the Shia muslim dominated Kargil district. The muslim population in Zanskar is about 1500 people some of whom belong to Shia sect.
Last September, Curfew was imposed after large scale violence erupted over Conversions of some Buddhists to Islam. |
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