Lurking danger turns Sopore into ghost town
The air is thick with anxiety as residents of the famed Sopore town remain clueless about the series of targeted killings in the area in last few weeks. An eerie silence reflects the fear of the unknown danger lurking in the shadows.
The streets and marketplaces, which would normally witness hustle and bustle, wear a relatively desolate look with heavy deployment of police and armed forces.It’s a throwback to the troubled 1990s when people of Sopore, like other towns of Valley, saw death and destruction up close. With the onset of armed conflict, the town which had come to be known as ‘Chota London’ for its prosperity, owing mainly to the profitable apple trade, had turned into one of the most restive territories in the valley.
Come 2015 and the uncertainty of death is back to haunt the residents albeit the terror seems to have no face this time around. Speculations are rife as to who the assailants are, what is their motive and who would be their next target.
Fear is palpable everywhere in the town with people looking at every stranger with suspicion.
The flag march of Army’s armoured vehicles, commonly known as ‘Casper’, with red flags hoisted atop them give the town look of a war-bound territory.
Besides the closed shops, stones, broken bricks and unattended garbage on the streets reflect the state of unrest into which the town has descended into.
Badambagh village used to be abuzz with activity. But since Sunday when one of the shopkeepers fell to the bullets of unknown gunmen, the area has been left in deafening silence.
“We used to close shops at midnight as this village is on the road which leads to Fruit Mandi. But now we return to our homes before sunset. Nobody dares to move out,” said a college student wishing not to be named.
After every ten minutes, two Army vehicles patrol the road with red flags hoisted atop them. The sight only makes people more fearful.
“We see their presence as bad omen. Army vehicles were seen near the spots where Altaf and Mehraj-ud-Din were killed. We don’t know what is going on. Our Prophet had predicted that there will be time when killer won’t have an idea why he is killing a person and the slain too wont’ be knowing for which sin he would be killed,” a group of residents said.
A college student said on Sunday morning he was packing his uniform to play a cricket match when he heard sound of three gunshots. “I rushed out and saw Mehraj-ud-Din in a pool of blood. My cricket kit bag remained unzipped and it’s still lying in the room.”
In the town uneasy calm prevails. People are sitting in the by-lanes in groups discussing the situation while children play around their parents.
A class 7th student of Sopore Public School has been sitting at his home since last Friday as his school was closed. When this reporter asked him why he is not in the nearby playground as it’s a holiday, he said: “Who wants to play? We are afraid of going to playground. We had to go to play cricket match on Sunday but then a killing took place and we cancelled the plan.”
The college and university students have given up using mobile phones. Since the towers were attacked, pre-paid recharge is not available in the town as the vendors have closed their outlets.
“We can recharge our phones through internet but we don’t want to. We have lost interest in using these phones. We hear the music and watch movies on them now,” said a group of youth in Sopore market.
Rumours are making rounds that mobile networking is under surveillance and conversations are tapped.
“Why to call trouble ourselves. We don’t dare to talk to our girl friends even. We go to meet them,” a youth said while other youth chipped in and said, “We are back to stone age. Now we think we have to use doves for communication but in Jammu doves too were arrested.”
Besides the town, the rural areas of Sopore are equally panicky. In Bomai, Mundji, Dangepora, Dooru, Warpora and other adjoining areas, people live in fear and are hardly seen on roads. Locals said Army told them that curfew has been imposed in these areas after evening. They said Army lay cordon in and around the villages during night evoking fear psychosis among the locals.
“They (Army men) hurl stones at our houses, beat our gates and shutters of shops during night. Our nights are terrible. Our families spend nights together in one room out of fear,” locals of Bomai said.
