Prolonged hartal & curfew is nothing short of
mischievous administrative cum political game plan. Unfortunately, any game
plan in the valley gets revealed to Kashmiris when it is too late. Today in
2016 many Kashmiri brethren on the Facebook write that the movement started in
1990 was hijacked by goons and looters to fail their movement. Many say that
they were planted by the Government of India. Strange accusations! Strange!
Those who were martyrs until yesterday and in whose favour ‘janaza’ was offered
by lacs of people are today abused accused as planted ones by those who
attained maturity in 2016. Only god knows who is right and who is wrong.
To mourn the death of a declared militant by his fellowmen and sympathisers is all right and justified. To offer ‘janaza’ in his favour by his sympathisers in lacs,a religious obligation too is justified. But to protest killing of a militant in a declared war is in no way justified. In a declared war casualties on either side have to occur unless there is a hidden agreement for a fixed match.
Hartal is a mark of protest and prolonged hartal is meaningless and loses its purpose. Hartal in the valley for almost two months is not voluntary. Had it been voluntary, why should boys come on the road to implement it and raise blockades? Had it been voluntary, why should shopkeepers for complete month of July until I was there make brisk business with half shutters down? Had it been voluntary, how could I purchase 5 kg. Bag of basmati rice of India Gate for Rs.280 from a shop at Brain with curtain down and shutter up? Had it been voluntary why petrol pumps worked after 10:30 PM? Had it been voluntary, how could I purchase a fresh halal chicken at Durganagh road from the poultry loaded on a load carrier on 22nd July 2016? People are gagged. People are chocked. People have lost faith in the administration that enjoys long undeclared holidays with assured salaries.
Early sixties, students from Amar Singh College expressed their protest at Lal Chowk. The other day, Sahibzada Mahmud Ahmad, Principal of the College called for an explanation from English Professor Moti Lal Raina. Professor Raina resigned and did not justify his absence from the college.
Early nineties, when militancy was at its peak and gun was operative with greater intensity Government offices, Banks, BSNL, LIC offices, General Insurance offices……and many institutions were functional. Public transport too was operative despite cross firing and bomb blasts. Why not today?
Tourist season got washed off, so is the fruit season. Daily wage earners, ‘raddiwala’, hawkers, taxi operators have been put to starvation. Those who opted for self-appointment and purchased expensive cars of all makes to ply as local sharing taxis owe heavy amounts to their bankers. Heavy interest on such loans with no regular instalment has since doused their kitchen. Besides repayment of accumulated interest on the Bank loan, insurance, token tax and other expenses on the stranded car is nothing short of killing the gagged operator.
95% who the Government rightly claims are not for hartal and violence are gagged. They don’t have any guaranteed protection against the few consisting of 5%.
Visit of All Party Delegation is an exercise in futility. The best course to give relief to the sufferers is to ensure 100% attendance of Government officials, to make attendance of teachers in schools and colleges compulsory with no excuse, to provide fool proof protection to public transport operators, shopkeepers, to let the voluntary hartal without imposition of curfew be allowed and to restrain hooligans who come out to impose forced hartal.
To mourn the death of a declared militant by his fellowmen and sympathisers is all right and justified. To offer ‘janaza’ in his favour by his sympathisers in lacs,a religious obligation too is justified. But to protest killing of a militant in a declared war is in no way justified. In a declared war casualties on either side have to occur unless there is a hidden agreement for a fixed match.
Hartal is a mark of protest and prolonged hartal is meaningless and loses its purpose. Hartal in the valley for almost two months is not voluntary. Had it been voluntary, why should boys come on the road to implement it and raise blockades? Had it been voluntary, why should shopkeepers for complete month of July until I was there make brisk business with half shutters down? Had it been voluntary, how could I purchase 5 kg. Bag of basmati rice of India Gate for Rs.280 from a shop at Brain with curtain down and shutter up? Had it been voluntary why petrol pumps worked after 10:30 PM? Had it been voluntary, how could I purchase a fresh halal chicken at Durganagh road from the poultry loaded on a load carrier on 22nd July 2016? People are gagged. People are chocked. People have lost faith in the administration that enjoys long undeclared holidays with assured salaries.
Early sixties, students from Amar Singh College expressed their protest at Lal Chowk. The other day, Sahibzada Mahmud Ahmad, Principal of the College called for an explanation from English Professor Moti Lal Raina. Professor Raina resigned and did not justify his absence from the college.
Early nineties, when militancy was at its peak and gun was operative with greater intensity Government offices, Banks, BSNL, LIC offices, General Insurance offices……and many institutions were functional. Public transport too was operative despite cross firing and bomb blasts. Why not today?
Tourist season got washed off, so is the fruit season. Daily wage earners, ‘raddiwala’, hawkers, taxi operators have been put to starvation. Those who opted for self-appointment and purchased expensive cars of all makes to ply as local sharing taxis owe heavy amounts to their bankers. Heavy interest on such loans with no regular instalment has since doused their kitchen. Besides repayment of accumulated interest on the Bank loan, insurance, token tax and other expenses on the stranded car is nothing short of killing the gagged operator.
95% who the Government rightly claims are not for hartal and violence are gagged. They don’t have any guaranteed protection against the few consisting of 5%.
Visit of All Party Delegation is an exercise in futility. The best course to give relief to the sufferers is to ensure 100% attendance of Government officials, to make attendance of teachers in schools and colleges compulsory with no excuse, to provide fool proof protection to public transport operators, shopkeepers, to let the voluntary hartal without imposition of curfew be allowed and to restrain hooligans who come out to impose forced hartal.
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