Srinagar, Feb 08: Chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of live in the recent heavy snowfall and avalanches across the valley and extended condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families. He also regretted the damage to houses and property in various parts of the valley due to heavy snow.
Assessing the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid Srinagar, Mirwaiz said: “With anguish and concern, we have been witnessing the total apathy and callousness of the authorities towards the people of Kashmir living in city, towns, villages and most of all in remote villages, struggling with the fall out of adverse weather conditions for the last two months without any respite.”
“Somehow we are surviving the lack of electricity and water, the basic necessities of life in today’s life. Leave alone facilities, no emergency provisions are in place. The recently reported incident of a pregnant woman losing her child and her life and the family struggling to take her body home because of blocked roads is heart-rending,” he said.
Mirwaiz said the highways remain blocked, particularly the Jammu Srinagar highway, and thousands of men, women and children are stranded, left to fend for themselves without basic amenities or provisions of food, medicines, accommodation.
“As all other traditional /natural connectivity routes to outside world are closed by authorities, when this route gets blocked in winter months due to bad weather each year, people are left to fend for themselves facing a crisis and shortage of supplies which could be avoided by opening up the traditional routes. We demand that all traditional routes should be opened immediately to facilities supply of essentials and travel,” he said.
Hurriyat (M) chairman said overpricing of air tickets is another issue and there is no one to look into this “loot”. “It is ironical that Srinagar to Jammu tickets are costing a staggering 40,000 which is less than one-way fare to New York,” he said.
“With no plan or concern to ameliorate the difficulties and sufferings of people the only activity that the authoritarian state is proactive in are the CASOs (Cordon and Search Operations) meant to kill, maim, terrorize and destroy people. Mirwaiz strongly denounced the launching of CASO operation in Bandipora this morning,” he said.
Mirwaiz appealed to the humanitarian agencies and people concerned with human suffering to support and assist those who are undergoing immense difficulties due to harshest weather conditions and total apathy of the state.
The people of Kashmir have a tradition and culture to help each other in difficult times, as we saw during the floods.
“Once again I ask them for help and support particularly for those in these dense and dire circumstances,” Mirwaiz said.
