Battered streets tell tales of conflict

Syed Ali Safvi

SRINAGAR, Aug 21: Shattered pieces of broken glass panes, remains of burnt tyres, wooden barriers, pebbles and brick pieces - lying scattered on the battered Srinagar streets - bear witness to the continued unrest that has left at least 62 civilians dead and maimed over a hundred for life.

The Srinagar city has been under siege for the last 72 days. A tour to this historic city gives an idea as to what has befallen the city and its dwellers.

Window panes of almost all the residential houses in downtown and uptown areas of Srinagar have been broken. The residents allege that CRPF men barge into their houses and smash window panes and thrash the inmates.

The window panes of the residential houses in Srinagar city and its adjoining areas have been covered with tin sheets, ply boards, card boards, blankets and curtains.

“Police and CRPF men pelt stones and smash window panes of our houses,” says a resident of Rajouri Kadal. “Instead of replacing the broken window panes, we have preferred to cover the windows with blankets or tin sheets.”

The city dwellers also allege that the men in uniform do not allow them to offer prayers in mosques.

“They (troops) don’t allow us to offer Fajr (morning) prayers,” said a resident of one f the valley’s most volatile areas, Nawhatta, often referred to as Kashmir’s Gaza strip.

He said that paramilitary CRPF men are deployed on the curfewed streets of Srinagar in the dead of night to restrict locals from coming out of their houses.

“CRPF personnel, patrolling the streets, thrash people going for mosques to offer prayers,” he added.

Residents of Habak, Batamaloo, Saida Kadal, and Rajouri Kadal allege that the paramilitary CRPF men had barged into residential house in the areas and looted television sets, gas cylinders.

“The troops went berserk and took away our valuable belongings,” said a resident of Saida Kadal.

The battered streets of Srinagar city speak volumes about the series of frequent clashes that have broken out between police and CRPF men and protestors, mainly youth, in the last 72 days.

At Nawhatta, pebbles and brick pieces are lying scattered along the roadside. There is also a half-burnt effigy lying almost unattended at Nawhatta chowk.

At Nala Marpalan, big cement pipes are laid on road to block vehicular traffic. Protestors have kept big rocks in the middle of the road at Saraf Kadal, Gojwara, Rajouri Kadal and Rawalpora.

At Janab Sahib Soura, debris of a ransacked CRPF bunker, evacuated yesterday, demonstrate the magnitude of anger among the protestors.

At HMT, roads, lanes and bylanes are dotted with stones, brick pieces, and burnt tyres.

At Bemina crossing, tree guards have been uprooted and kept on highway.