Holding People Hostage!

It has now become almost a routine for a long time that whenever some important dignitary visits Kashmir for a day or two, the people in general get held as hostages during the period of stay of that dignitary. The important Roads especially the ones to be used by the VIP get blocked almost a day earlier. Sometimes even “restrictions”, a new name for an undeclared curfew, get imposed in some parts, especially the down town or Sehar-e-Khas area. This creates sometimes massive traffic jams for hours on end. The worst is even Ambulances carrying patients get stuck up in the jam. This could be unthinkable in any civilized country! In such a situation, it is advisable for the government to move VIPs by helicopter. This used to be done during the turmoil of the nineties of the last century. This would not create any jams nor would the people in general get held up as hostages. The security authorities may devise some other means of moving VIPs so that the common people do not suffer. No doubt the movement of VIPs even in other parts of the country also creates some hindrances to the common people, but Kashmir tops the list in these in every way. Apart from the VIP movement, the residents of the down town or the Sher-Khas get virtually locked up on every Friday. This is especially true of the Jama Masjid area where Friday clashes have become a routine. It is difficult to understand why troops should be invariably deployed around Jamia Masjid. Heavens won’t fall if people demonstrate and express their feelings. Supposedly there had been an agreement arrived between the Mosque authorities and Police recently. However, there were again clashes and the ding dong battle erupted which again locked up the whole area. The Ceasefire announcement had given a respite but there are certain nuances which need to be attended to and the cessation of operations needs to be continued even after Ramadan to create a conducive atmo sphere for the dialogue to resolve all issues.