Kashmir violence

Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, said the purpose of this action was to give them "an opportunity to be responsible persons and lead a normal life." He also said the amnesty would be available to them “as a one-time opportunity" and that the young men would benefit from the goodwill gesture which comes during the month of Ramadan.

According to Abdullah, around 1,200 young men have been released on bail. However, the government will still take action against those who have been accused of setting fire to government vehicles.

A 'weak' offer

Meanwhile, separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has criticized the government's move, calling the amnesty a weak offer for youth who were essentially innocent and only reacting to the killings of protestors.

Geelani complained that investigations have been ordered into only 17 out of 112 killings and that none of the accused officers have been prosecuted. "It's ironic that Omar Abdullah did not even utter a word about the killing of young men last year. Their killers are rewarded and roaming freely," Geelani said in a statement.

A history of violence

Last year in June and September, thousands of young people in Indian-administered Kashmir held protests against the Indian government. More than 100 civilians died during the agitation as government troops shot at the protestors who were throwing stones at them.

There is a deep anti-India sentiment in Kashmir. Both India and Pakistan stake their claim on the region. The Indian government has managed to suppress the rebellion in Kashmir which began in the late 1980s, has has claimed the lives of over 60,000.

Author: Manasi Gopalakrishnan (AP, dpa)
Editor: Sarah Berning