According to sources, police detained several leaders of trade bodies to bar them from taking out a protest rally at Lal Chowk here.
Sep 8 2015 7:42AM
Photo: Mubashir Khan\GK
Normal life across Kashmir was affected Monday due to a strike called by Valley’s various traders’ associations and civil society groups against the “failure” of the state government to rehabilitate flood victims, even as police detained some top leaders of business community to thwart protests on the first anniversary of the devastating deluge.
According to sources, police detained several leaders of trade bodies to bar them from taking out a protest rally at Lal Chowk here.
The shutdown call, which evoked good response, was given by both factions of Kashmir Economic Alliance led by Muhammad Yaseen Khan and Showkat Chowdhary, and was supported by civil society members and separatist leaders as well.
On September 7, 2014, Kashmir was hit by unprecedented floods that submerged the summer capital and also Civil Lines areas for days together. As per government estimates, the floods caused Rs 1 lakh crore losses to infrastructure and businesses. Following the deluge, the state government submitted a Rs 44000-crore rehabilitation package to the central government which has not been sanctioned so far.
The shutdown call had a visible impact on ground with business establishments remaining closed and government offices witnessing thin attendance.
According to reports, shops and other business establishments in North, Central and South Kashmir also remained closed for the day.
The traders had decided to hold a protest rally in city centre Lal Chowk, but police sealed the area to prevent them from doing so. However, some traders still managed to give slip to police and held protest demonstrations at Press Colony and Clock Tower here. The cops however used force to disperse the protesters and detained some of them.
Earlier, the government placed senior separatist leaders including Syed Ali Geelani, Muhammad Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, under house arrest to prevent their participation in the protest march proposed by various traders’ organizations. Though district administration didn’t announce restrictions in any part of Srinagar city, heavy presence of police and paramilitary forces was seen in both old Srinagar and Civil Lines areas.
Reports of shutdown were also received from various district headquarters.
Condemning curbs imposed by state government to prevent Valley traders from observing the first anniversary of floods as “shameful”, the President of Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation Muhammad Yasin Khan said: “The government which gags the peaceful voice of flood victims can never be their savior.”
Meanwhile, after coming out of day-long detention at Kothi Bagh Police Station, Khan said: “Today’s wicked game plan executed by the state government has exposed its failures.”
“A government which is intolerant to the genuine cries of the flood victims and instead hosts cultural programs on the day is actually deriving pleasure out of the miseries which the people of Kashmir are witnessing since September last year when the Valley was hit by a devastating deluge,” Khan, who is also president of a faction of KEA, said.
He said his earlier apprehensions that the ruling dispensation was “new version of Muhammad Shah Rangeela regime are getting vindicated.”
“By gagging our voice and conducting cultural programs to counter the miseries of flood victims can only be relished by rulers like Muhammad Shah Rangeela,” Khan said.
Chairman KEA (Chowdhary group), Showkat Chowdhary—who was lodged at Police Station Zakura—said it is for the first time in history of Kashmir that “such a clampdown on business leaders was executed.”
“It is shame on part of the government which claims of fighting the battle of ideas,” he said, adding, “The state government has failed people of Kashmir on all fronts.”
“There is no rehabilitation going on; businesses are suffering and government is using brute force to muzzle people’s voice,” he said.
Besides Khan and Chowdhary, other trade association leaders who were detained include President KTMF Muhammad Sidiq Baqal, President KTF Jan Muhammad Koul, President Gold Dealers Association, Bashir Ahmad, Hilal Ahmad Mandoo, Ajaz Shahdar and others.
By:G K News
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