Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, June 18: Irshad Ahmad, a college student has come to his home for a two week vacation from Delhi. He has moved out only a few times from his home which has mentally disturbed him. He feels as his home is a small prison, where he has no freedom of life, due to the frequent stone pelting incidents, which have become a norm in Down Town Srinagar.
Ahmad, a resident of Nawakadal, has spent most of his time outside the Valley. "I have come to home to spend some time with the family and was expecting to roam with friends. However, I have not been able to visit a single place. I feel as if I am in a small prison where people have no freedom," he said. "Stone pelters have made our lives hell. There was hardly any Eid festivity in our area due to frequent stone pelting."
The residents of downtown Maisuma, Sopore, Shopian Anantnag, Pulwama, claim their children feel mentally disturbed, who have been confined to their homes.
Like Ahmad, Mohammad Amin Bhat, a resident of Sopore reveals the same story, who complained that his 12-year-old son is fond of cricket, but due to uncertainity he is confined inside the four walls.
"We don't have a lawn, where my children could at least move few steps. The lives of people have been paralysed due to frequent stone pelting. The curtailment on the movement of children would be having negative impact on their mind in future," Bhat, a resident of Sopore believes.
At many places in Down Town, when there was stone pelting on Eid and Friday, several people could not offer prayers. "Stone pelting near religious places have become a norm now. People across the globe were celebrating Eid, here we prefered to remain inside doors due to stone pelting by some miscreants," Ghulam Mohammad, a resident of Eidgah said.
A senior police official said they had fear that protests might erupt after on Eid and had made elaborate security arrangements. "Whatever is possible to provide relief to people we do. But there are some miscreants who indulged in stone pelting even on the day of Eid, which is happening nowhere across the world," the official said. "We receive hundreds of calls from Down Town Srinagar that some miscreants were indulging in stone pelting and have made the lives of residents a hell," the official added. |
