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jammu and kashmir

are posted along the national highway at police & int, & improving move security, amounts to only 15 per cent of the time.
every 500 to 1000 metres to enforce the shows forces becoming over defensive”, “The state government...has already
ban. Some senior officers are also placed former Army chief tweeted. clarified in unambiguous terms, that out
on the road to issue passes to the people However, the government, both in of seven days in a week, only reasonable
in case of emergency. But it hardly helps the state and at the centre, has shown restrictions have been imposed, that
lessen the hardships faced by the people. no signs of revoking the ban. “Keeping too for 12 hours, two days in a week,” the
“An elderly man with his ailing child in view the security of our forces and MHA statement said.
pleaded with the magistrate to let him nation, we won’t succumb to any pres- On the other hand, a group of twen-
go at HMT crossing. He was simply sure and will not roll back the decision,” ty-six academics, analysts and former
turned back and asked to find some Singh said referring to the highway ban government servants including former
other route,” posted a journalist on decision. “I am sure that this must have Kashmir interlocutor Radha Kumar
social media along with the picture. reached to the quarters concerned and have written a letter to Singh to express
their “deep distress at the
continuing and indeed
intensifying alienation of
Kashmiris from the rest of
India”. They have said that
the moves like highway
ban and the proscription
of the parties like Jamaat-
i-Islami and the JKLF un-
dercut India’s “democratic
credentials” and add to
“disaffection” in Kashmir
A petition has also
been filed in the J&K High
Court challenging the
traffic order. The court
has issued a notice to
the union ministries of
home and defence and
the state government to
furnish reply by April 19.
But it seems unlikely that
the government would
revoke the ban until
the election is over. The
centre has so far been
immune to the protests
and inconvenience faced
by the people. “At one
level, this sad state of
affairs is a comment on
The move has also created some un- • Life hit National Highway restrictions are the BJP’s handling of Kashmir over the
ease within the security establishment disrupting life in Kashmir past five years. The situation has now
with some press reports quoting un- gone so far out of control that the cen-
named security officials debunking the tre has chosen to secure the land and
ban order. In fact, the former Army chief they should now stop making hue and forget about the people,” an editorial in a
General V P Malik has termed it a dumb cry over this”. local daily states. “But the question
idea. Facing criticism for closing down the is whether this policy is sustainable.
“Kashmir Ban on move of civ vehs on national highway connecting Jammu And whether alienating and invisibi-
NH twice a week is a dumb idea 1. Goes with Srinagar, the Union Home Minis- lizing the people from its outlook on
against core object of winning hearts try took refuge in statistics stating the Kashmir would usher in the peace?”
& minds. 2. Civil Adm must weigh pros total duration of prohibition is for 24
& cons 3. Instead of strengthening local hours out of 168 hours in a week, which letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 30 april 2019 41 www.Tehelka.com