SRINAGAR: India’s Home Minister P Chidambaram reviewed the security situation in Indian-held Kashmir on Sunday in the face of months of deadly protests against Indian occupation that have left over 100 people dead.
Chidambaram held a series of meetings with Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and top security and intelligence officials, a spokesman said.
It was Chidambaram’s first visit to the state since June 11 when a 17-year-old student was killed by a police teargas shell, triggering months of clashes.
Since then, Indian armed forces have been accused of killing a total of 111 people, mostly teenagers and students during violent anti-India demonstrations. The two day-tour that began Saturday took Chidambaram to the northeastern district of Ladakh that was hit by flash floods in August, leaving over 200 people dead.
On Sunday, he visited northern Baramulla district to take stock of the situation in the areas most affected by the protests. He later met with Abdullah, army and police chiefs and other officials in Srinagar, the spokesman said.
The unrest has left the government grappling for solutions to the outpouring of anger in Kashmir, where a popular desire for an independent Kashmir remains strong. About two-thirds of residents want independence for their region, according to a survey in September.
