In reply to an unstarred question posed by MP Shamsher Singh Manhas of BJP, the Minister of State (MoS) Hansraj Gangaram Ahir mention that there is “no provision in the Constitution of India to deal with anti-nationalists raising slogans or stone-pelting on Indian Army and paramilitary forces”. A senior MHA official said “Indian Constitution may not have any provision because when India got Independence from British rule in 1947 after the years of struggle in non-cooperation movement, the situation was perhaps unforeseen then”. The officer said the stone pelters are usually booked under section 147 of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), which covers punishment for rioting.

 

 

When Manas said there are two kinds people in Jammu and Kashmir, nationalist and anti-nationalist, with two very different ideologies in the strife-torn state, Ahir replied that “The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been affected by terrorists and secessionist violence that is sponsored and supported from across the border for more than two and a half decades. Some local residents have also been influenced by elements inimical to national interests and indulge in undesirable activities”. Elaborating more on the measures to curb the anti-national elements in the state the MoS said “Such offenders are dealt with as per the provision of relevant laws applicable in J&K. Jammu & Kashmir has its own constitution and Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), the main criminal code applicable in Jammu and Kashmir.”

 

 

 

 

Stone-pelting and raising anti-national slogans are quite common in the Kashmir Valley. Many security forces officials got injured in the incident of stone pelting. The Government of J&K has already mentioned that 11,566 security personnel were injured in 4,736 stone-pelting incidents in the Kashmir valley during the last three years (2017, 2016 and 2015). Even just two months back a 22-year-old soldier, Sepoy Rajendra Singh, succumbed to his head injury from stone-pelting. He got injured when he was providing security to a Border Roads Organisation convoy at Anantnag bypass tri-junction and few youths hurled stones at the vehicle and he was hit by a stone. The Minister’s reply comes as a shocker, as the security forces are at double risk of getting afflicted by the stone-pelters and the terrorists. Even the media trivialize the issue of stone-pelteing though it has been a serious jeopardy that looms large over the security forces deployed in Kashmir Valley.