Author: Vicky Nanjappa
Publication: Oneindia.com
Date: April 18, 2016
URL:   http://www.oneindia.com/feature/kashmir-separatists-have-a-new-weapon-called-rumour-mongering-2073233.html?utm_source=article&utm_medium=tweet-button&utm_campaign=article-tweet

Kashmir has been on the boil with several incidents of violence being reported in the past two weeks. The question is could this violence have been avoided?

It appears so since the statement made by a school girl cleared the air about an incident which had originally led to the problem.Going by this incident, it becomes clear that separatists have a new weapon on hand which has proven to be more dangerous than a gun. The weapon is called rumour mongering.

Violence erupted following the news that spread like wild fire in which it was stated that a school girl from Handwara had been molested by an army soldier.

However the girl clarified before the magistrate that she was not molested by an army soldier. This allegation had led to the death of five persons as security forces fired at protesters during widespread.

A new weapon called rumour mongering

The statement made by the girl that she was not molested by an army soldier clearly shows that there an ugly intent to create commotion in Kashmir. At first the girl issued a video statement in which she said that she was assaulted by two boys on her way back from school.

Her mother had contended that the video statement was issued under duress to clear the army. However the girl stuck to her statement and made the same points before a magistrate.

The sequence of events clearly shows that there is a section in Jammu and Kashmir which is dishing out passions against the Indian Army. The separatists in particular thrive on rumour mongering and propaganda against the Indian army. When such rumours are spread it leads to protests by the people who accuse the army of targeting civilians.

An officer with the Intelligence Bureau in Kashmir says that off late there have been several such incidents where a propaganda is spread against the army. This is done with the intention of stirring up passions so that people come out on the streets and fight the Indian army.

What is worse is that such protests leads to retaliation by the army personnel. People get injured and sometimes even die when the army personnel are trying to control the mob. This only leads to an additional problem with separatists using this as a excuse to target the army more.

Admission is vital evidence

The school girl in her statement before the magistrate said she entered a public lavatory near the main chowk in Handwara on her way home from school with her friend.

When she came out, she was assaulted and dragged by two boys and her bag was snatched. One of the boys was in school uniform she also stated.