Srinagar: At a time when resistance leadership of Kashmir is insisting people especially youth to maintain discipline during their protest marches in respective localities, reports are pouring in abundance wherein common people face harassment and even thrashing at the hands of unknown youth who are frequently seen blocking the roads, pelting stones on private vehicles, not giving safe passage even to hospital ambulances and even abusing elderly population.
The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that people associated with different organizations and even medicos and journalists have started issuing statements asking protesters not to attack ambulances, commuters and journalists. “Though I am a staunch supporter of Kashmir Freedom Struggle yet I am not embarrassed to admit that some sections of youth not only harass common people but cause damage to their property at different points across Kashmir. I was myself a victim of their brutality. The common people face onslaught from both sides now. After Government Forces, now unknown youth whom I called miscreants have started targeting them,” Farooq Wani a resident of Charar-e-Sharif told news agency CNS.
“At Kralpora I was stopped by some unknown youth during wee hours. In front of my eyes, those miscreants damaged the motor-cycle of a young man who argued with them. I didn’t confront them and reversed my private vehicle,” Farooq Wani, the owner of English Daily ‘Brighter Kashmir’ said and added that couple of days back he had already faced the wrath of Para-military Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Safakadal area of old Srinagar city.
An elderly local is a witness to an incident how unruly and some arrogant youth stopped an ambulance at Hamdania Colony Chanapora carrying a lady patient and forced the driver to move back. Though the family members of the lady patient implored and requested repeatedly, but all in vain. “This is unethical and if this is what they call ‘Azadi’ then I am sorry to say I don’t need such type of ‘Azadi,” the local resident said.
Reports said that miscreants a few days back attacked a Sumo (JK01K-4408) carrying the son of a top Hurriyat leader towards his destination near Tengapora Bypass in Srinagar.
Two Journalists were beaten to pulp and their motor-cycle (JK05D-1928) was damaged by protesters as well as CRPF personnel at Natnosa Kupwara on Wednesday. “I along with my journalist friend Irshad Ahmed after performing the duties was on way to Sopore. At Natnosa Kupwara we were first thrashed and abused by protesters and then targeted by CRPF personnel who caused massive damage to our motorcycle,” said Saleem Qadri who works for a Kolkatta based news portal.
On Thursday a TV journalist Ishfaq Gowhar was first stopped by protesters near Naaz Crossing Srinagar and after convincing them when he moved ahead CRPF men deployed there attacked his vehicle (JK0AB/0733) and caused massive damage to it. “My wife suffered serious injuries in her head and received 8 stitches,” Gowhar told CNS.
A local from old Srinagar city said that there is nothing new in it CRPF ransacking houses, damaging vehicles and thrashing people here in Kashmir and videos on social media substantiate this claim, but: “It is shocking and surprising that Kashmiri’s are attacking Kashmiri’s. A load carrier was torched in old Srinagar city while a section of youth belonging to a particular party is blamed for the act,” he said.
In the latest attack, miscreants targeted a hospital ambulance on Friday near Behram Sahab Harnag area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag in which three hospital employees were injured
An eyewitness from Mehjoor Nagar Natipora locality said that there was scuffle between two groups of people on Thursday evening while one group wanted bottlenecks to be lifted from the road while another group opposes it.
Pertinently, Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Geelani had appealed people to identify these miscreants who harass common people on roads. (CNS)
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