SRINAGAR: Saturday morning witnessed a different scene on the Srinagar streets. The movements eased for the last few days were curbed again, strongly on Saturday when many people attempting moving out to make some quick purchases for the Eid.
Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in greater strength to curb the movements. At regular intervals concertina wires, steel gates and drums were erected to stop any movement. These drop gates that were there for last many months, were on the sides of the roads only to be pulled back.
Hurt, Srinagar residents were seen pleading before cops to allow their passage, but diversions were made only to face another lead the people to another barricade.
Castigating the uncertainty with every morning sun, Wasim Ahmad, a banker by profession said he was returned from at least seven places from his residence in Buchpora. “The governance structure seems to know only one thing and that is humiliating people,” he said.
Questioning the way streets are being managed, Wasim said large number of people were together near the barricades, tossing the concept of ‘physical distancing’. “I am witness of around 50 people begging police near Bishembar Nagar and all of them were standing close to each other, many without masks.”
Adding to what he says, an official of food and supplies department said “we have been left to the whims and wishes of the people at the barricades.”
Shazia Ahad, a girl in teens was seen requesting a police officer near Rainawari. She was on the way to meet her brother who had come from Rajasthan and has been quarantined. “He used humiliating language and returned me back.”
Once long queues were witnessed at a barricade near Khayam chowk, a CRPF man came and started damaging the vehicles.
Mushtaq Ahmad, while lamenting the way administration is managing the situation said on one day authorities say “virus is a part of life” and on other “they humiliate even moving with passes.”
“Looking forward to further ease restrictions,” was what Srinagar magistrate has written in a tweet almost a fortnight ago, said Mubashir Ahmad, adding “what happened to that.”
A senior bank official said banks cancelled the holiday to provide services to the people on the eve f Eid but “the humiliations meted out to the staff on the streets is not in a good taste.
“Me and my brother were heading back from work this morning when we were stopped at a barricade near Mill stop. We requested them let us pass but the JKP personnel started hurling abuses and constantly yelling that we should talk to SHO. We parked and my brother got down to ask about how to contact SHO and his name. At this point he started beating him with laathis and not just him, an elderly man with a SKIMS prescription and cancer society card as well. I got down to defend both. The laathis stopped but the abuses didnt…..” tweeted Arshie Qureshi.
