PM wants ‘non-lethal ways’ in Kashmir, calls for task force

NEW DELHI - Calling for “non-lethal ways to manage protests” in Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday asked the home minister to establish a “high-power task force” to devise ways of controlling crowds. He also reached out to Maoists, renewing his offer for talks on the condition they abjure violence.

Addressing the 45th annual meet of the chiefs of state police and central security agencies, the prime minister said the situation in Kashmir was a “cause of serious concern” and called for devising “non-lethal ways to manage protests”.

“Despite the curtailment of militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir, the public order dimension in the state has become a cause for serious concern,” he said, referring to stone pelting in the valley.

“We need to revisit standard operating procedures and crowd control measures to deal with public agitations with non-lethal, yet effective and more focused measures,” said Manmohan Singh. “We also cannot have an approach of one size fits all.”

Referring to various crowd control methods abroad, varying as per the situation, Manmohan Singh asked the home minister to form a panel to devise better ways for controlling crowds.

“I understand that instead of a single standard sequence for the use of force, other countries have put in place procedures that vary according to the specific needs in different situations.”

“I would request the home minister to establish a high-power task force to come out with a set of recommendations on these issues in the next two to three months,” the prime minister said.

Manmohan Singh also reiterated his Independence Day offer of talks to Maoists.

“I would like to repeat what I said in my speech on the Independence Day. We recognise that Naxalites (Maoists) are our own people and we are ready to talk to them, provided they abjure the path of violence.”

He said the government was “committed to making special efforts to develop the areas affected by Naxal violence, many of which are inhabited predominantly by our tribal brothers and sisters”.

A day earlier, Home Minister P. Chidamabaram addressing the conference regretted that there had been no “credible response” from Maoists to the government’s offer for talks.

“We have called upon the CPI-Maoists to abjure violence and come for talks. I regret to say that there has been no direct and credible response to our offers of talks,” he told the meet in his inaugural address Wednesday.