Pulwama shutdown enters 8th day, Allow Martyrs’ Memorial or face stir: Geelani to admin
Complete shutdown was today observed here on the eighth consecutive day for not allowing the locals to erect a memorial of local slain militants.
Amidst clashes which erupted Thursday evening, all the business establishments, shops closed and traffic went off the roads.Barricades were put on roads leading to Pulwama with youths resorting to stone pelting at Muran chowk, Rajpora chowk and Boonura on Shopian- Pulwama road.
Security personnel were deployed in every nook and corner of the town as commuters were seen walking down the road with no transport around due to strike.
As the forces were being withdrawn from the town, youths pelted stones on them near Rajpora chowk, Court road, the forces in retaliation lobbed a few tear smoke shells to disperse them.
Pertinently, the Pulwama youth on last Friday called for a strike after they were not allowed by the police to erect a memorial for the slain militants who were killed in different encounters.
Meanwhile, Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani today threatened statewide protests if the government persisted with its ‘rigidity’ to disallow people from raising the “Martyrs’ Memorial” at Shaheed Park, Pulwama, in south Kashmir.
Commenting on the shutdown in Pulwama for the 7th consecutive day, Geelani, in a statement today, said “Installation of Martyrs’ Memorial board at the Shaheed Park Pulwama is a genuine and logical demand of the local people and the objection of the administration and the police to the erection of this board is an unjustified and unnecessary action. We caution the government that rigidity on the issue will have serious consequences and the Hurriyat would appeal to the people in the entire state to protest against it.”
“The Shaheed Park in Pulwama is associated with the martyrs of 1931 and since then this place has a historical importance. Our beloved youths who are sacrificing their life for the freedom of their nation are our heroes and they are worth to be respected and remembered in every respect. The people in Pulwama if wanting to erect a martyrs’ memorial board on the entrance of the Shaheed Park, it is a good move which should be followed by the other districts of the state. It is beyond our understanding as to why the police are creating hurdles in this proposal and why they are objecting to the installation of board.
The setting up of Martyrs Memorial in Pulwama will not affect anything but the way the police is creating hurdles and are trying to suppress the people’s demand through the force, it will definitely create law and order problem and will further deteriorate the situation,” Geelani said, advising the police to shun rigidity and warning that the Hurriyat will not sit silently over their (police’s) unjustified attitude.”
Meanwhile, Geelani said, “It is matter of grave concern that a shopkeeper Ghulam Muhammad has gone missing during the ongoing protests in the Pulwama and his whereabouts are not known for the last four days. Nobody knows that who among the police or other Indian agencies have arrested him.”
