Valley Of The Jinx

Barely a month after the much-publicised talks between the Hurriyat and deputy PM L.K. Advani, a roadblock seems to have cropped up. The Hurriyat leaders have warned that talks would break down if security forces didn’t stop "harassing the Kashmiris". Says Hurriyat chairman Moulvi Abbas Ansari: "We’ll wait till March 2 (the 10th day of Muharram) for the Centre to improve the human rights situation here, failing which we would walk out of the talks.’’ According to Ansari, a moderate, Kashmiris were being subjected to arbitrary checks and frisking, and in one case, a 57-year-old shopkeeper of Pulwama died in custody. Lt Gen Nirbhay Singh, commander of the Kashmir-based 16 Corps, has been summoned to Delhi by the army chief.