SMASHING of window panes allegedly by police and paramilitary forces is nothing new for the people of Shahr-e-Khaas. It has been there almost always whenever protests erupt in the densely populated area.
 But unlike most other areas, this locality, I believe goes unnoticed. In the Shahr-e-Khaas there is Karfali Mohalla, a little known Mohalla. The security forces and protestors fight pitched battles in the narrow lanes here. Both sides pelt stones ruthlessly at each other. But due to sharp curves and bends on the road and its bi-lanes none of the pitchers (Bowler in Baseball) get hurt from both sides except the windowpanes of the nearby houses that fall prey to stone pelting.
 This area has suffered a lot for long. Whenever there was any protest for water and electric supply, proper sanitation or political unrest almost all the houses near main roads bore the brunt of the cops. Breaking of windowpanes has become a daily affair here. The area from Shalla Kadal to Fateh Kadal is densely populated and the houses are closely knitted. The houses, lying in line on both sides of the road from Kani Kadal Bridge to Fateh Kadal along Shalla Kadal and Karfali Mohalla, have always been targeted whenever there were any protests. The cops, whenever deployed in this volatile area, made it a point to smash the windowpanes of the houses close to road with their guns and lathis before they execute their legal duty. The main objective behind it is perhaps to frighten and threaten the inmates. This year the windowpanes of the poor residents are aimed more than four times thus costing a huge sum to sufferers on replacing it and repairing the broken windows and doors. Since most of the residents of the locality do not have garages so they park their cars on the roadsides. Sometime these cars also become victim of the conflict.
 Not only causing the huge financial loss to the residents but the broken glass sometime hurts the inmates particularly the children. In the recent case a female child received a grave injury when a sharp glass hit her foot inside the room. In curfew like situation it was not possible to give her first-aid or take her to nearby hospital.
 We the residents of the area make an appeal to the police and civil administration to take necessary measures to prevent the cops from smashing the windowpanes unnecessarily here. The residents of the locality are now looking for some alternate transparent plastic like panes which could replace the traditional glass panes to avoid this routine damages. 
By Obaid Yusuf
Student of Bemina College
Feedback: ubaidyusuf@hotmail.com
(The views expressed are author’s own)

Lastupdate on : Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
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