Srinagar: Even as tensions have heightened between India and Pakistan in the wake of Surgical Strike across the LoC, people of trouble-torn Kashmir pray for peace in the region.
From the congregational Friday prayers held at Masjids across the restive Valley today, to social media, it was people keeping their fingers crossed and asking the two countries to resolve Kashmir for peace and prosperity in the sub continent.
While Masjid Imams held special prayers hoping that war is avoided, people said any such move would lead to large-scale destruction in entire south Asia and that this Valley would bear the brunt.
Social media particularly Facebook remained flooded with people’s concerns over escalation of tension between the twin nuclear powers even tough the wider online audience in Kashmir has been off due to persistent ban on mobile internet for around three months of unrest, which claimed over 86 lives and left over 12,000 wounded.
While the Valley is struggling to come out of spells street protests, siege and strikes, the Indo-Pak tension has furthered their woes as over seven million people continue to be largely confined indoors since July 8 when militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani and his two associates were killed.
“When two bulls fight, it is the grass that suffers. #Kashmir,” said Imaad Mir, who works at Supreme Court of India and comes from a political family.
Posted Rayees Dar, a businessman: “The reason between #India and #Pakistan war is Kashmir…..if war escalates between two nuclear power countries it may cost more than 21 million innocent lives from both the sides …#WarIsNoSolution yesterday they killed u and today u kill them .. Tomorrow they will again kill..then it goes so on.”
He added: “Losing someone in their family feels the pain …rest of the people get only excited and thrilled for few days….now the time has come both the countries must sit together and talk peacefully …and solve the root cause I.e #Kashmirdispute once for all live peacefully, happily and friendly together.”
A Kashmiri lawyer, Babar Qadri posted : “I wish there is no war as India and Pakistan share same culture and nature of land but I don't know why on Kashmir both couldn't reach to a consensus. When an army man is killed whether he is Indian or Pakistani , a mother looses a son , old father looses hope , wife looses shelter and children loose fathers. Why should all these suffer just for Kashmir… You can't control a nation at gun point instead by love and respect to their identity. If you really believe in democracy and human rights then you have to really submit to civility.”
As social media started getting unnerved, some like techie Jahangir Raina posted humorous one-liners. “Want peace. Willing to pay the requisite premium/hafta/tax for it,” he posted.
Within a fortnight of militant attack on Army brigade headquarters in frontier Uri, where at least 19 soldiers lost their precious lives on September 18, India has retaliated, claiming to have killed two Pakistani soldiers and over four dozen militants across the LOC.
Pakistan is reportedly bracing up for retaliation, which could mean a counter Surgical Strike on India, which has already asked people living within 10 kilometers of the LOC to migrate to safer havens.
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