Panchayat representatives quit in fear; President on a three day visit to valley; Hurriyat Conference calls for shutdown in protest to President’s visit; Jammu and Kashmir State legislature autumn session to begin on October 1; Militants and soldier kille
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    • According to reports, about 80 Sarpanchs and Panchs resigned in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on September 24 in the wake of killing of a Deputy Sarpanch by unidentified gunmen in Wagoora area of this district on September 23. The Panchayat representatives have tendered their resignation from different areas especially Wagoora block before Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Block Development Officer Wagoora and other officials besides issuing advertisements through newspapers. A vernacular daily of Srinagar received 54 resignations from Panchayat members to be published in the newspaper.1

    Meanwhile, President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee arrived on September 26 on a three-day maiden visit to Kashmir valley amid tight security. The President attended the convocation at Kashmir University. 2

    However, according to reports, normal life was paralyzed in Kashmir due to a separatist-sponsored strike to protest President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to the valley. The shutdown call was given by Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani and supported by United Jihad Council (UJC) chairman Syed Salahudin, lawyers and students. Shops and other business establishments, schools, colleges across the valley reportedly remained closed. 3

    Reports noted that the autumn session of the legislature beginning October 1 is expected to be stormy, as the opposition is all set to corner the coalition government especially National Conference over empowerment and security of Panchayat representatives in the state. With killing of Sarpanchs and Panchs triggering an intense debate over their empowerment beyond the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, the opposition parties have chalked out separate strategies to take on coalition government over the issues linked with devolution of powers to grassroots representatives. 4

    In other developments, according to reports, two unidentified militants and a soldier were killed while an Army officer of elite Para-regiment was injured in an ongoing encounter that started September 24 evening in Handwara Tehsil of district Kupwara. 5

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