Srinagar, June 26: At Kak Sarai chowk, a vital link between SKIMS Soura and SMHS hospitals, an imaginary line divides Srinagar into north and south zones. But concertina wire laid across the road Tuesday brought along a physical distinction between the two zones and inconvenience for the people mostly patients and the doctors aspiring to reach the hospitals.
 Cars and two wheelers were parked near the Kak Sari Chowk. On the road towards Safa Kadal, police and concertina wires prevented public movement between north and the south City.
 The people stood helplessly before a police party at the square pleading that they be allowed to reach their destinations. But the police party on the south City side was reluctant to allow them venture into the restricted north.
 “We have to take this patient to SKIMS for treatment. Please let us go,” an elderly woman presumably from some village pleaded before a police official while showing some prescriptions.
 But the cops didn’t buy her pleas. The man in Khaki had a novel idea for the destitute. “You better go to SKIMS via Lal Chowk and than Foreshore Road,” the senior cop said.
 “It will be a long distance by that time patient’s condition might deteriorate. It’ll consume lot of time and money,” the woman pleaded but to no avail.
 In the meantime some medicos who were heading towards SKIMS came down from their cabs to request the police team to let them reach their duties.
 “We are getting late. Our time is precious. Patients will be waiting for us,” the medicos said. “That is not my fault. Go and ask the administration,” a police official replied.
 In the meantime one of the destitute managed to   get in touch with the District Development Commissioner Srinagar Baseer Ahmed Khan complaining before him that the movement of patients and doctors was being disrupted. The DDC assured action within five minutes. By that time some more of people arrived at the square pleading for a way ahead but to no avail.
 Interestingly, those managing to reach the site from the restricted north of the fence confronted a similar trouble. They too weren’t being allowed to venture into the south though there were no restrictions in the south, unlike the north City which remained under siege since list night.
 In the meantime, an ambulance heading towards SKIMS Soura was also stopped. The attends of patient came out of the cab shouting against the police.
 Suddenly, the cops lifted a portion of the concertina wire. Some medicos and patients were allowed to proceed presumably on the intervention of the DDC Srinagar.
 But after a few moments, the restrictions were again in place, this time more stringently. Another queue of people made it to Kak Sarai to be directed by the police to take a route to SKIMS via Lal Chowk and Foreshore Road a distance of 20 odd kilometres.
 But this wasn’t the scene in the north City areas like Safa Kadal where police had kept arrangements in place to facilitate movement of patients.  But then there was a trouble at Kak Sarai square where police had a “advise” that patients take a long route via foreshore. The “advise” could seemingly benefit none except petrol pump owners at a time when fuel prices are on fire and an imaginary line between the north and the south of the City put people to inconvenience.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 26 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST