Wednesday 3rd Jun, 2026
Omar, Tarigami question Army commander for boasting about militant killings in Kashmir
Srinagar, Jan 18: (UNI) National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah and senior CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami have questioned Northern Command chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh for his alleged remark that 2018 has been a great year for security forces as more than 250 militants have been killed while 54 have been caught alive in Kashmir.
Meanwhile, moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Umar Farooq on Friday termed the statement as extremely unfortunate and inhuman.
Reacting to Lt Gen remarks, Mr Abdullah, who is former chief minister of the state, said it would have been a “great year” if no youth had joined militancy.
“I beg to differ, a great year would be one in which no young man would join militancy, no terrorists would be killed & no security personnel would lose their lives in encounters. The compulsion of killing militants/terrorists shouldn’t be treated as a cause for celebration,” Mr Abdullah wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.
“I also said a great year would be a year in which security personnel don’t lose their lives in encounters but that part doesn’t suit your narrative & when have you guys ever been honest to the cause of journalism. Tweeted using #TimesNowIsBiased #OmarVsTimesNow :),” Mr Abdullah wrote in response to a debate done by a national news channel under the headline, ‘What does Omar mean when he says a great year would have been when no terrorists were killed?’
Mr Tarigami in a statement issued here on Friday said, “Whether civilians, security personnel or militants are killed, death-count can never be wonderful news.”
He said this conflict is consuming many young bright lives since decades and it can never be “wonderful news”. “Killings are a tragic saga and ways and means need to be explored to end the bloodshed. There has to be a serious appraisal on why are the youth leaning towards militancy in the first place,” he said.
Mr Tarigami said the question that one needs to ask is how to achieve an end to the deep-rooted sense of alienation and frustration among the youth when the government is only defining its approach only through muscular policy and not going for dialogue and reconciliation. “Another tragedy is the repressive ways of choking the voices of dissent and democratic space,” he said.
“An objective analysis would certainly take these factors into account. Alienation and anger can only create a situation conducive for violence. Such a situation is bound to give rise to extremism as well,” he said.
He said in order to end this existing political alienation and anger, a serious initiative to analyze the major causes of this anger has to be taken. “What is required is a serious effort for in-depth study of the present crisis,” he said.
“Of course, there is no readymade formula except a sustained credible process of dialogue with all the stake holders. That only can provide us a way forward,” he added.
Mr Abdullah, Mr Tarigami and Mirwaiz were responding to the remarks of Lt Gen Singh in which he reportedly said that 2018 has been a great year for the security forces as more than 250 militants were killed, 54 were caught alive and four surrendered.