| Waving Pak flag: Police spare separatists, punish youth | | | Abdul Majid
Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 31: While Centre has been reiterating that waving of Pakistan flags won't be tolerated on Indian soil, the J&K government is sparing separatist leaders responsible for such anti-national activity in the Valley and punishes youth who wield no influence.
This is what one can infer from the police action over anti-national activities held in the past three months of PDP, BJP coalition regime.
In the latest case, separatist leader Shabir Shah led an anti-India rally in Anantnag district on May 29, where Pakistani flags were waved in full public gaze. Shah threw a challenge to New Delhi, insisting that there was nothing wrong in waving Pakistani flags in Kashmir.
Though police station concerned woke up, the action was just for the sake of it. Shah was briefly detained, and the next day he resumed anti-national activities in Srinagar.
Even as Shah has been allowed to move freely, the police has started crackdown on Anantnag youth. While four have been detained, cops have started a massive manhunt to nab the other accused.
"Police has warned us that our youth will be booked under PSA. If they did not slap PSA against Shabir Shah, why is my innocent son wanted like a criminal?" asked a family whose son has gone into hiding after raids at their residence.
Station House Officer (SHO) Saddar, Anantnag, Aadil Ahmad, however, said that they have only summoned the youth for questioning. "We have not arrested anybody. However questioning is going on in the case and people are being summoned," he said.
Earlier on May 20, Pakistani flags surfaced in Srinagar at a rally held by Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Supporters of the Mirwaiz were seen waving Pak flags and chanting pro-Pak slogans at the rally in the old city areas. The rally was held on the eve of death anniversary of late Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq.
Reacting strongly to the anti-India protests, BJP leader and defeated candidate from Amira Kadal constituency Hina Bhat said her party was strictly against such acts and demanded action against Mirwaiz.
But BJP statement remained a statement. Mirwaiz and his Hurriyat cadres were spared from any police action and allowed to continue with their activities.
The cops, however, started crackdown on the downtown youth. Within three days of the flag waving, some two dozen youth were held during nocturnal raids.
"We arrested 22 youth and hunt is on to arrest others," a police official told a Srinagar daily. Most youth detained by police are in the age group of 15 to 20 years, the official added.
Like Anantnag, the police action here forced many youth to go into the hiding. Similar complaints poured when green flags were waved by separatists in Hyderpora area of Srinagar in April. |
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