Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 16: Fed up with the uncertainty created due to unrest and violence besides seeing the future of their children bleak a large number of people from Kashmir are in search of land in Jammu -the Winter Capital.
According to sources hundreds of people from Kashmir are contacting land brokers and builders to search five to ten marlas of land in Sidhra, Bhatandi, Sunjwan and Chowadhi area of Jammu district so that they can construct their dwellings here and shift their children for education.
Sources said encouraged by the recent decision of the State Government regarding opening of fresh registration the people from Valley are also visiting the concerned offices to seek information regarding procedures for registration. While some people who had already filled up the forms for registration have managed their registration after their cases were okayed by the Committee recently in this regard, sources added.
Sources said that given the present situation in Valley and fed up with the ongoing bandhs, strikes, terrorist violence and last year’s Summer unrest which paralysed normal life in Kashmir for six months the people of Valley are trying to find some alternatives to lead a peaceful life.
Sources said that people in Kashmir are so fed up with the terrorist violence and unrest that they want some one to lead them so that they can take on those who are responsible for their miseries. Some people who are in search of plots in Jammu to construct alternative dwellings here told this correspondent that they see future of their children bleak under the prevailing situation in Kashmir.
A middle aged man from North Kashmir’s Sumbal area who was enquiring the rate of land in Sidhra area told this reporter on condition of anonymity that their children have dark future in Kashmir under prevailing circumstances. “ I have come here along with my two children who are reading in 12th and 11th respectively to look for some space to construct one or two rooms here so that their education is not disturbed’’, he added.
“We have seen unrest in the Valley for six months last year and there is uncertainty at present also as no one can predict what will be situation tomorrow as it all depends on the mood of the leaders of Hurriyat and other separatist organisations’’, he said.
So a saner person will not like to ruin the career of his children and in view of prevailing situation the people are left with no alternative but to shift to other places for schooling of their wards, he added.
Same were the views of another person from North Kashmir’s Kulgam district who too was enquiring rate of land from some brokers in Bhatandi and Sidhra area.
He said that his daughter who was reading in 10th class is so fed up with the situation in the Valley that she is not ready to go to her school. “I could not convince her when she asked me that what would happen to the children if schools continue to remain closed for a year’’. It is not question of promoting the students to next higher classes but what about the school days lost by them and the lessons missed by them. If such conditions will prevail in future too then we can’t even compete with other students in rest of the country, was the question which his daughter asked him.
A middle class Government employee who too had visited Jammu in search of a plot of land said that though he had purchased a house on the outskirts of Srinagar some years back for good schooling of his children said he was also thinking to shit to Jammu now as the career of his children has been hampered with constant bandhs and strikes in Kashmir.
“Though I have to still pay the bank loan taken by me while purchasing a house in Srinagar some years back, but I am left with no alternative to seek more loan to construct one or two rooms here for better schooling of my children’’, he added.
Viewing seriously the recent militant violence and stone pelting incidents in different parts of the Valley, the people in Valley apprehend trouble shooters are hell bent that this Summer should too pass in unrest as the calls for poll boycott and instigating the mob to violence have already been given by some secessionist and terrorist organizations controlled from across the border. Under these circumstances they are left with no alternative but to shift their wards to safer places so that they will not fall in the trap of the anti social elements and also will not lose the academic time, sources added.
Sources said the common man is fed up with the prevailing situation in Kashmir and highhandedness of terrorist outfits as well as secessionist elements but due to lack of solid support they hesitate to take on them.
A business man from Valley who had shifted his children for private coaching to Jammu during this Winter, said there is a brewing public resentment against the secessionists in Kashmir now and this can be gauged from the fact that last time when secessionists lifted the shutdown call and asked for observing hartal for only two days in a week, the people defied the same and did not observe the bandh any more.
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