India again hit by shrine protest

Hindu protesters met with heavy security
Protesters in the Hindu-majority area of Jammu in Indian-administered Kashmir have held a 12th day of demonstrations.

Officials say that the atmosphere is still tense as demonstrations continue over the decision not to allow a Hindu shrine in the Kashmir valley.

However the Jammu protests have become more muted because of heavy security.

Meanwhile, a shutdown is also being held in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley in protest against alleged assaults on Muslims in Jammu.

Welcomed

The shutdown in the Kashmir valley was called by a prominent separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani to "express solidarity" with the Muslims of Jammu.

Muslims say that the move to erect the shrine was aimed at altering the demographic balance in the area.

The land transfer plans caused anger among both Muslims and Hindus

In July, the state government acceded to their wishes and formally revoked a plan to give a tract of forest land to a board that manages an important Hindu shrine.

Violence over the transfer left five dead and hundreds wounded.

Mr Geelani said that the administration has failed to protect the lives and property of Muslims in Jammu since the Hindu protests in support of the shrine began.

On Monday, doctors in government hospitals supported the agitation campaign and walked out of their jobs. However, they exempted emergency services from the strike.

The BBC's Binoo Joshi in Jammu says that large numbers of troops have been deployed to enforce security, a curfew is in place and mobile phone text messaging has been suspended.

Our correspondent says that the depth of feeling is so strong over the shrine issue that demonstrations have also been held in villages surrounding the city of Jammu.

Reports of alleged assaults on Muslims have been pouring in from different parts of Jammu almost every day.

There have been reports of some houses belonging to Muslims being torched in the area.

Correspondents say that their plight is similar to that of many of Jammu's Hindu community, who were forced to leave the Kashmir Valley when the separatist campaign began in the early 1990s to live in refugee camps in Jammu.

Hindu protestors recently carried out an economic blockade of the Kashmir valley by stopping traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway for many days.

This might help Pakistani's who are supporters of Pak-India friendship to understand "Hindu Psychology", I would quote Sheikh Rashid here from the program called JAWAB DEH on 3rd of August at GEO News, that "The biggest blunder that was done by Musharraf Govt. is to start bilateral talks with India, as it changed the direction of attack of mujahideen from Jammu and Kashmir against indian forces to Pakistan itself, Pakistani leaders need to understand the thinking and psychology of Hindu Leaders before making a move for talks"I agree with Sheikh Rashid on this, we also want peace but only on EQUAL TERMS.