There is disquiet in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district as many youths in the town are adamant on installing a “martyrs’ memorial board” at “martyrs’ graveyard” in one of the busiest town squares to glorify militants killed by security forces.
The demand for a memorial was raised after a local militant, Umais Ahmad Sheikh, was killed in a gunfight in Bandipora district in north Kashmir. The demand intensified following an encounter at Gusso village in the district, in which two militants, including a local, were killed.
The Auqaf Committee and the Traders Federation held several rounds of talks with the administration after frequent shutdowns in the district headquarters. “The talks yielded no result. The administration tried to impose its terms, which we refused,” said Traders Federation president Bashir Ahmad.
He further said most traders in the town were young and they were adamant on installing a “memorial board”. “The memorial board is not digital, but a simple one with some verses of the Quran,” he said. He added that no photograph would be pasted on the board, as shown on some social networking sites.
Pulwama Deputy Commissioner Niraj Kumar said he had requested the Auqaf Committee and Traders Federation to open shops and freed the youths arrested in connection with stone-throwing incidents.
“We held a meeting for more than three hours with the Auqaf Committee and Traders Federation on Tuesday, but there was no consensus on the issue,” he said. He added that people were suffering due to shutdowns in the district.
He said he could not permit putting up a “martyrs’ memorial board” in the town. “I am working under the government and the issue must be raised with the government,” he said. He added that he had urged people to open the market and continue to negotiate on the issue.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Pulwama, Tejinder Singh said: “We have given our verdict to the people and they have to decide about it now.”
A complete shutdown was observed in the town on Wednesday, with some youths putting tin sheets on roads and forcing shopkeepers to close their shops.
Uneasy calm in Pulwama district over hoarding demand
