08-08-2008, 07:31 PM
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080807/j&k.htm
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Some relief for residents
Tribune News Service
Jammu, August 6
It was 5 oâclock, dawn was yet to break and air was wet and windy yet the bazaars were bustling with customers. Long queues could be witnessed in front of general stores, medical shops, as well as liquor shops alike. People came out of lanes, made enquiries, buy essential commodities, and then again vanished away quickly.
There was relaxation in curfew for a few hours and people wanted to make most of this time period before their freedom was curbed and restriction reimposed. Inside mohallas of old city, people were glued to radios, television sets and newspapers. Apprehensions and rumours were on rife as they believed that dearth of essential commodities would intensify in the days to come and the administration would take more rigorous steps to âteach them a lesson.â Some pledge not to give in before the administration and exhort others to muster courage to âfight against injustice and discriminationâ.
Apart from children, the emergent situation was a unique experience for all other people who did not witness such a âmass revolt against Kashmir-based secessionist and separatist politics before.â
<b>Meanwhile, retail price shopkeepers of upper Panjtirthi alleged that in the face of scarcity of household goods, the police was not allowing them to buy stock from wholesalers during relaxation in curfew. âToday the administration had lifted curfew from 5 am to 8 am but while we were purchasing goods at Kanak Mandi, the police forcibly pulled down the shutters at 6 am and chased us away,â they alleged.</b>
They further alleged that they were even deprived of newspapers. âWe are not getting national dailies for the past couple of days, while vendors have been denied by the security forces to deliver papersâ they said.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Migrant Muslims feel more âsafeâ in Jammu
Tejinder Singh Sodhi
Tribune News Service
Jammu, August 6
<b>With ârumoursâ spreading like wildfire in Kashmir that the ongoing agitation in Jammu had taken a communal shape and members of the minority community were being targeted, members of the Muslim community, said they felt more safe in Jammu than in Kashmir.
The separatists in the Kashmir valley have been making hue and cry over the rumours that Muslims in Jammu were being targeted by the âHindu extremistsâ. However, Muslims living in Jammu say no such incident has taken place.</b>
A large number of Kashmiri Muslims along with Kashmiri Pandits migrated to Jammu when armed insurgency erupted in the Kashmir valley 18 years ago.
âThere is no question of leaving Jammu. Nobody has attacked us. These are rumours being spread by some vested interests. Jammu has been a perfect example of communal harmony. We were offered refuge when our own people in Kashmir disowned usâ, Abdul Hameed, a Kashmir migrant, said.
Abdul said: âAll Kashmiri Muslims who migrated to Jammu were against armed insurgency in the valley. We protested against the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. However, the extremists started targeting usâ.
Meanwhile, migrant Muslims living in Jammu, blame politicians for the ongoing turmoil in the state. âThese politicians divided the valley on communal lines and now they are trying to make a divide in Jammu on a similar linesâ, Ghulam Qadir, a resident Gujjar Nagar in Jammu, said.
Ghulam along with his family had migrated to Jammu from Bandipore 18 years ago. He said: âWe wonât allow them
to divide people on communal linesâ.
Many migrant Muslims said they wanted to remain neutral on the issue of forest land as peopleâs religious sentiments were attached to it. âThere is no harm in giving land to the shrine board when the annual yatra provides livelihood to a large section of the Kashmiri population. However, we want to maintain a neutral stand on the issueâ, Abdul Rashid, another Kashmiri migrant, said.
Other migrant Muslims also said there was no question of leaving Jammu in wake of the ongoing agitation. âOur people are supporting the ongoing agitation. It is not only against the revocation of forest land transfer, but has also turned into a mass uprising. Our region has faced discrimination since the past 60 yearsâ, Majid Meraj, a postgraduate student of Jammu University, said.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Some relief for residents
Tribune News Service
Jammu, August 6
It was 5 oâclock, dawn was yet to break and air was wet and windy yet the bazaars were bustling with customers. Long queues could be witnessed in front of general stores, medical shops, as well as liquor shops alike. People came out of lanes, made enquiries, buy essential commodities, and then again vanished away quickly.
There was relaxation in curfew for a few hours and people wanted to make most of this time period before their freedom was curbed and restriction reimposed. Inside mohallas of old city, people were glued to radios, television sets and newspapers. Apprehensions and rumours were on rife as they believed that dearth of essential commodities would intensify in the days to come and the administration would take more rigorous steps to âteach them a lesson.â Some pledge not to give in before the administration and exhort others to muster courage to âfight against injustice and discriminationâ.
Apart from children, the emergent situation was a unique experience for all other people who did not witness such a âmass revolt against Kashmir-based secessionist and separatist politics before.â
<b>Meanwhile, retail price shopkeepers of upper Panjtirthi alleged that in the face of scarcity of household goods, the police was not allowing them to buy stock from wholesalers during relaxation in curfew. âToday the administration had lifted curfew from 5 am to 8 am but while we were purchasing goods at Kanak Mandi, the police forcibly pulled down the shutters at 6 am and chased us away,â they alleged.</b>
They further alleged that they were even deprived of newspapers. âWe are not getting national dailies for the past couple of days, while vendors have been denied by the security forces to deliver papersâ they said.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Migrant Muslims feel more âsafeâ in Jammu
Tejinder Singh Sodhi
Tribune News Service
Jammu, August 6
<b>With ârumoursâ spreading like wildfire in Kashmir that the ongoing agitation in Jammu had taken a communal shape and members of the minority community were being targeted, members of the Muslim community, said they felt more safe in Jammu than in Kashmir.
The separatists in the Kashmir valley have been making hue and cry over the rumours that Muslims in Jammu were being targeted by the âHindu extremistsâ. However, Muslims living in Jammu say no such incident has taken place.</b>
A large number of Kashmiri Muslims along with Kashmiri Pandits migrated to Jammu when armed insurgency erupted in the Kashmir valley 18 years ago.
âThere is no question of leaving Jammu. Nobody has attacked us. These are rumours being spread by some vested interests. Jammu has been a perfect example of communal harmony. We were offered refuge when our own people in Kashmir disowned usâ, Abdul Hameed, a Kashmir migrant, said.
Abdul said: âAll Kashmiri Muslims who migrated to Jammu were against armed insurgency in the valley. We protested against the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. However, the extremists started targeting usâ.
Meanwhile, migrant Muslims living in Jammu, blame politicians for the ongoing turmoil in the state. âThese politicians divided the valley on communal lines and now they are trying to make a divide in Jammu on a similar linesâ, Ghulam Qadir, a resident Gujjar Nagar in Jammu, said.
Ghulam along with his family had migrated to Jammu from Bandipore 18 years ago. He said: âWe wonât allow them
to divide people on communal linesâ.
Many migrant Muslims said they wanted to remain neutral on the issue of forest land as peopleâs religious sentiments were attached to it. âThere is no harm in giving land to the shrine board when the annual yatra provides livelihood to a large section of the Kashmiri population. However, we want to maintain a neutral stand on the issueâ, Abdul Rashid, another Kashmiri migrant, said.
Other migrant Muslims also said there was no question of leaving Jammu in wake of the ongoing agitation. âOur people are supporting the ongoing agitation. It is not only against the revocation of forest land transfer, but has also turned into a mass uprising. Our region has faced discrimination since the past 60 yearsâ, Majid Meraj, a postgraduate student of Jammu University, said.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->