Srinagar, Aug 15: While it is very common for police and paramilitary forces to bar people from offering prayers at the historic Jamia Majid in Shahr-e-Khaas, it has happened after years with people offering prayers at the Hazratbal shrine on the city outskirts.
 Since Saturday afternoon, no prayers have been offered in the shrine, reminding people of the 1993 Hazratbal siege.
 According to residents, people couldn’t offer prayers in the shrine in the 1993 siege for days together. “That local houses were used as Masjids or people would offer prayers in their lawns. This time the situation is similar. We have again been barred from offering prayers in the shrine,” said Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Hazratbal.
 Interestingly, Hazratbal has witnessed severe siege for the past many days, with people drawing parallels between the 1993 and current cordon. “Since 1993, we haven’t seen any intense siege like the one today. For the past many days, police and paramilitary forces hardly allow us to buy vegetables or medicines. During that period we would pool vegetables and other food material from different quarters and today we are doing exactly the same,” the residents said.
 The police curbs, particularly on prayers, have drawn flak from hundreds of devotees, who accuse the cops of interfering in their religious affairs. “At least the government must keep in mind the sanctity of the Hazratbal shrine and the peoples’ sentiment associated with it. It must ensure that devotees, who throng the shrine, from across the Valley are not barred from offering prayers there,” said a Muslim Waqf Board official, who looks after the shrine. “To stop people from visiting the shrine is highly condemnable.”
 People, like 1993, have started to offer congregational prayers in their vicinities.
 They even question the need to have cops to man the shrine. “In the first place, it is highly condemnable that people are searched thoroughly before allowed to move inside the shrine. And then completely stopping them from offering the prayers there is nothing but government’s interference in the religious affairs of people,” said Ishfaq, a resident of Hazratbal. “There is no need to have forces in and outside the shrine. It is an established fact that people in Kashmir have always behaved responsibly when it came to safeguarding or maintain the places of worship.” 
 The demand of removal of policemen comes in the backdrop of yesterday’s police action in the Hazratbal shrine. At least 30 persons sustained injuries when policemen beat up the protesters who were shouting pro-freedom slogans from inside the shrine.
 “It is better if the places like Hazratbal shrine are without cops. That would ensure everlasting peace in such places. And that would ensure free movement to devotees,” said Ghulam Nabi, a devotee.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
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