Zubin Mehta's Mush-Brained Kashmir Conducting

A symphony concert as a way to placate jihadis in Kashmir? How's that working out for you, Zubin?:

A concert by renowned conductor Zubin Mehta in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where separatist groups are fighting New Delhi's rule, was mired in controversy on Sunday, posing potential diplomatic embarrassment for Germany, whose ambassador organized the event. 

The concert, on the banks of picturesque Dal Lake, went off peacefully on Saturday night amid heavy security to deter any attack by separatist insurgents in one of the most militarized regions of the world. 

The event was organized by Germany's ambassador to India, Michael Steiner, with the aim of reaching "the hearts of the Kashmiris with a message of hope and encouragement". 

But separatist groups protested against an event they said effectively legitimized New Delhi's rule over the disputed state, and called a strike on Saturday to show their opposition. Shops were shuttered and streets largely deserted in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir state. 

In the hours before the concert, security forces deployed in the city as part of a major operation by the army, paramilitary forces and police to protect the event shot and wounded a motorist who they said failed to obey orders to stop. 

In south Kashmir, security forces said they shot four men to thwart an attack on a paramilitary base. Angry residents protested that those killed were innocent civilians. The shootings underscored tension in a region where New Delhi has deployed 700,000 security force personnel to keep the peace.

Despite the tumult, Mehta remains adamant that the concert was a good thing:

Indian-born Mehta, 77, who has conducted the Israel, Berlin and Vienna philharmonic orchestras among others during his long career, said despite the controversy he still believed the concert had had a positive impact on Kashmir. 

"We are not politicians. We cannot change boundaries but we can start a process of healing. Yesterday there was the beginning of some process of healing because Hindus and Muslims were sitting together in complete harmony," he told NDTV.

 Wishful thinking or incipient senility? You make the call.