Srinagar
Asking media and state government to stop giving sermons after a tourist from Chennai died in an unfortunate incident at Narbal Srinagar, Independent lawmaker and MLA Langate Er Rasheed on Tuesday said that both must own the responsibility for the incident, one for provoking the situation and adding salt to the injuries of Kashmiris and another for not preventing tourists from travelling at a time when entire Kashmir was in deep shock over the loss of lives in Shopian.
The spokesman said that no one in Kashmir supports violence and nor can anyone feel the pain of Chennai family more than what Kashmiris can as they have lost hundreds of budding blooms like him mostly at the hands of government forces. It is known to all that the tourist was not attacked for being a tourist or an Indian, but for the reason entire Kashmir was witnessing incidents of stone pelting.
He said Government should have either asked tourists not to travel during Hartal and remain confined to their rooms or should have issued at least an advisory of caution. “If the government can lock schools and universities and gag social media, claiming to do all this to save human lives, why didn’t it ask tourists not to travel for a day to ensure their safety,” the spokesman quoted Er Rasheed saying.
It is strange that everyone within and outside state gives Kashmiris sermons about protecting tourists but forgetting that just a few days back it was local Kashmiris in south Kashmir who helped tourists out after stone pelting incident. However, the tragic part of the story is that no one even mentions about the teenager of Shopian Sufail Ahmad Bhat of Nagbal Shopian who succumbed today at SMHS hospital after being hit by Army bullets two days back.
He said “It seems lives of Kashmiris don’t matter much not only for national media but for people like Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who are busy in defaming Kashmiris over the incident.
Rasheed also condemned ransacking by government forces in Palpora Langate and Bonigam Qazigund and warned of dire consequences if the forces are not stopped from turning goons again and again.
Er Rasheed said “no one speaks for atrocities on Kashmiris but make a huge hue and cry when they find a chance to drag Kashmiris in controversies. It is unacceptable the way army entered into houses and damaged public property besides beating locals at Palpora Langate and Bonigam Qazigund today.
