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VALLEY OF VIOLENCE: Protests in Srinagar began after the Friday prayers.

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New Delhi/Srinagar: Peace in Kashmir has become top priority for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The PM is worried about the deep communal divide in the state as was evident from his Independence Day speech. “This land is the biggest symbol of our secularism. Dividing people in the name of faith will not solve these problems,” he said.

On Friday night, he called upon External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to devise a strategy to overcome the crisis.

Meanwhile, protests in Srinagar began after the Friday prayers and several people were injured in police firing. .

With the two month Amarnath Yatra coming to an end on Saturday, security forces in the state would have one major worry off their hands.

But there are a slew of protests scheduled for the day. Hurriyat Conference leaders are holding a march to Panpore to condole the deaths in the violence. The Hurriyat says it is willing to respond to the PM's call for peace but on its terms.

“The people of Kashmir have the right to trade with Pakistan,” said Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

With public resentment in the Valley high over alleged police overreaction to the protests, peace initiatives are likely to take longer than expected.