Eid Package for the people of Kashmir

Featured post

By: Mehdi siddique

Demands Granted??? Eid Package for people of Kashmir!!!

At a time when people were discussing, 'Will Eid package bring peace', no one seemed to care as to whether any package is actually on the row or not!

The fresh unrest in the valley which started from June,11,2010  has already claimed 70 lives, leaving thousands injured and hundreds

disabled permanently. It may be noted that this unrest is deep rooted in nature, it gained momentum in 90s and since then Kashmir has lost nearly 100 thousand lives. (specific details can be viewed in our wall photos)

People looked upon the arrival of Eid as bearer of peace and serenity but as the blood shed continued, protests got voilent day in and day out. The state and the center government had announced an Eid package which was understood as 'release of all political prisoners detained during the current unrest, lifting ban from various local channels, shutting down the curbs on media, space for peaceful protests, dilution of AFSPA etc', but kashmiris got a shock when nothing tangible was done, instead more units of CRPF were brought in and more strict curfews were imposed, and more lives were lost, following are the details of EID PACKAGE:

a) Round clock Curfew: No respite for people of kashmir even during night hours, strict curfew imposed all across the valley. For the first time in past 3-months of unrest, authorities clamped round the clock curfew across the Valley on Sunday (sep,12).

b) Restrictions on media: severe restrictions were put on media, and the reporting of protest events is being minimized as far as possible. Various local channels could not telecast evening news bulletins on Sunday as their reporters and cameramen were not allowed to come out and discharge their professional duties. 

c) Doctors restricted: Even doctors were hampered to reach the hospitals.

d) No Prisoner released on Eid: The Eid package nullified as no prisoner was released.

e) More detentions: Inspite of releasing political prisoners more detentions were made, prominent one in the detention of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, The chairman of APHC.

f) Severe action against peaceful protesters: At least 22 persons were injured in this north Kashmir town on Sunday when police and paramilitary CRPF men resorted to baton charge and aerial firing to disperse pro-freedom demonstrations, witnesses said.

g) FIR hammered: FIR was hammered on various pro-freedom leaders inducing, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq & Masrat Alam because government believes that they 'provoke' people.

h) More units of CRPF involved: Some CRPF units who were earlier busy in providing security for the Amarnath yatris have now been called to engage with the deteriorating situation in the valley.

i) At the Top of it: The Pro-freedom leadership had earlier put forth some points before the central government so that peace would be restored in the valley, the points include, 'accepting J&K as an international dispute, action against those CRPF, RAF or JK police personnel who were involved in the martyrdom of 70 Kashmiris, Release of all political prisoners and no detentions to be made henceforth, removal of all draconian laws like AFSPA which give a free hand to CRPF, Army etc to shoot and kill, immediate demilitarization from all populated and public areas. However instead of acting on these points the government decided to crush the sentiments of people with force and now we continue to witness our streets being painted red.

It is high time that the Indian leadership read the writing on the wall and stop the genocide and inhuman practices in Kashmir. They should not confuse the Kashmiri sentiments with Economic and employment packages, it is not about currency it is about Freedom, Freedom to live in peace and Freedom to the way Kashmiris want.
***
The author is a thinker and writer from Kashmir; he blogs at www.mehdisiddique.blogspot.com