Srinagar, August 16: India marked the anniversary of its independence from British rule yesterday, but celebrations were married by turmoil in Kashmir.
Thousands of people held protests against Indian rule in Kashmir after security forces shot dead six protesters in two days and beefed up security for Independence Day.
Indian Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar and other parts of the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley have recently been rocked by some of the biggest pro-independence protests in two years.
On Friday and Saturday, troops said they shot dead six protesters and bystanders during violent protests by rock-throwing Kashmiris. Residents accused the security forces of opening fire on peaceful demonstrators.
One of the young men killed on Saturday was from the southern town of Anantnag, where thousands of residents held noisy night-long anti-India demonstrations, witnesses said.
They chanted slogans such as “Freedom for Kashmir” and “We will spill blood for blood”.
In his annual Independence Day address, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for an end to the raging street protests in Kashmir and urged outlawed Maoist rebels elsewhere in the country to respond to his appeal for talks.
“Recently, some young men have lost their lives in violence in Jammu and Kashmir (and) we deeply regret this,” Mr Singh said.
He added that New Delhi would hold talks with Kashmir protesters but only if the violence ended.
In his speech, Mr Singh also warned Pakistan, saying the country must root out terrorist groups in its territory before peace talks between the nuclear-armed neighbours can make meaningful progress.
-Agencies