Page 40 - 30APR2019E

Losing the way in Kashmir

The Government ban on the movement of civilian vehicles The order, however, was “subject to the
along the state’s only highway for two days a week has Srinagar-Jammu NHW (National High-
way) road clearance”.
sparked outrage in the state, writes riyaz wani In another case a man was granted
permission to travel by a duty magis-
here is outrage in Kashmir ical consequences. So, the government trate by stamping and writing on the
over the Government ban doesn’t want to take any chances. palm of his hand, the picture of which
on the movement of civil- But the Jammu-Srinagar national trended on the social media with peo-
ian vehicles along the state’s highway of which the banned stretch is ple criticising the ban. The ban order
T only highway for two days a part is the only road connecting Kash- has become emblematic of New Delhi’s
a week. On Sundays and Wednesdays, mir with the rest of India. So, the two new harsh approach towards the state.
only security vehicles are allowed to days bring Kashmir to a grinding halt, It has also invited comparisons with
travel along 270 kilometre stretch of massively inconveniencing the people Polish government order during Ger-
National Highway 44 between Udham- and disrupting the businesses. People man occupation of Poland in Decem-
pur and Baramulla districts. have to seek permission and have to ber 1939 which prohibited Jews from
An April 3 order from the state’s have a solid reason for the movement entering or using pathways, streets and
home department said that the high- and which is not humanly possible for public squares from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
way will be completely barred until the thousands of people which need to Kashmir is thus angry. Political par-
May 31 for civilian traffic on the two use the road. ties have termed the ban unaccepta-
days from 4 am to 5 pm to “facilitate the In one case, a family whose wed- ble. Former J&K Chief Ministers Omar
movement of security forces convoys” ding was scheduled on a Sunday had Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have
into the Valley. On the said days, not to seek permission for the movement held protests against the ban and
only is the highway made out of bounds of the groom’s baraat which has since issued strong statements against it.
for the people but many link roads con- gone viral on social media. “Shri Danish “Kashmir belongs to Kashmiris. We
necting to the national highway are also All s/o Showket Ali Bhat r/o New Qazi can’t be banned from our own roads,”
blocked using barbed wires, prevent- Bagh Anantnag District accompanied Mufti said during a protest against the
ing access of civilian vehicles on to the by 12 persons be allowed to move from ban. She also appealed to people to not
highway. Anantnag to Doda along with vehicles accept the ban and defy it. “This is Kash-
The government logic is that the on- -------- in connection with marriage mir, not Palestine. We wont allow you to
going Parliament elections in the state ceremony on 06-04-2019 and back on turn our beloved land into an open air
entail an intensified movement of the 07-04-2019 after proper frisking, secu- prison,” she said.
security vehicles in the state, render- rity check. The permission is valid for Similarly, Omar termed the ban
ing them vulnerable to attacks by the 02 days only,” the order issued by the “mindless”. “Driving to Uri I’m getting to
militants on the pattern of February 14 District Magistrate of Anantnag read. see first hand the extent of disruption &
Pulwama bombing which killed over inconvenience that is being caused to
40 CRPF personnel and triggered India, people because of the mindless high-
Pakistan skirmishes. More so, after the On Sundays and way closure order that is in place today,”
aborted second attempt along similar he said.
lines on a CRPF bus near Banihal. This Wednesdays, only People’s Conference leader Sajad
time, mercifully, no security personnel security vehicles are Lone said the ban was “turning into a
was killed even though the car carrying humanitarian disaster”. “Flooded with
explosives blew up and was reduced to allowed to travel calls from across the state. People in
charred remains. dire need to travel in order to tend to
There is thus an apprehension that along 270 kilometre their day to day needs of survival stuck
more such attacks could be mounted stretch of National in a state of helplessness. @jandkgov-
on security vehicles along the highway, ernor urgently needs to scrap the inhu-
resulting in the loss of the lives of the Highway 44 between man order,” Lone tweeted.
security personnel. And if the attack is Udhampur and However, this outrage has made lit-
believed to have originated from Paki- tle redeeming difference on the ground.
stan, it can once again trigger geo-polit- Baramulla districts Troops from police, CRPF and the army

Tehelka / 30 april 2019 40 www.Tehelka.com