Death of Tamil Nadu tourist is ‘murder of humanity’, says Mehbooba

Team Udayavani, May 8, 2018, 2:31 PM IST

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today termed the death of a 22-year-old tourist whose vehicle was targeted by stone-pelters the “murder of humanity” and said the incident had rattled the mother in her.

Those who pick up stones to kill someone have no religion, an upset Mehbooba said after meeting the father of Chennai resident S Thirumani, who was holidaying in the Valley with his family and died yesterday evening at a hospital here.

The issue would be discussed and debated on television for days and “we will be silently watching the murder of humanity, which has been unheard of in the state of Jammu and Kashmir”, Mehbooba told PTI. Saying that her head hangs in shame, the chief minister questioned the education being imparted to children.

“The mother in me is rattled about the kind of education we are imparting to our next generation,” said the mother of two daughters and the first woman chief minister of the state. “What are we teaching our children? To pick up stones and kill anyone walking on the road? This is not what our religion Islam preaches. Our religion teaches us to take care of our guests. These people or boys who pick up stones to kill someone have no religion,” Mehbooba added.

She also questioned the role of parents and asked what they were turning their children into. Thirumani and his family were returning from Gulmarg when their vehicle was caught in stone pelting near Magam area of Budgam. A stone hit the young man on his right temple and he was rushed to the Soura Institute of Medical Sciences where he died.

“Can one imagine that the poor father had kept his entire savings to bring his family to Kashmir and he is now returning with the coffin of his son. Is this what we want?” Asked whether the incident would have an impact on tourism sector, the chief minister said, “I can’t be talking about tourism, it is a basic question about humanity. This can’t be Kashmiryat.” 

The incident, she added, will have an impact on the entire concept of Kashmiriyat. “My brother Tasaduq (Mufti, who is the state tourism minister) keeps on saying that its not about (tourism) industry but about humanity. We are failing on that.