Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 6: Eid-ul-Azha celebrations were low key in Kashmir valley today as lakhs of people have been worst affected by last month’s floods that left over 280 people dead and destroyed property worth Rs one lakh crore.
There was no festivity and majority of the people were gloomy today as they either lost their homes and businesses or their homes are not worth living. However, people made a beeline to prayer grounds, Masjids and shrines to offer the Eid prayers.
The biggest Eid congregation was held at Hazratbal shrine where around 30, 000 people including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, offered prayers.
Omar prayed for wellbeing of the people of the State and the country. He appealed people to remember flood affected families on the occasion of Eid and extend all support to them describing it the real essence of the Eid.
Later, he donated blood at blood donation camp at SMMS Hospital. He asked the people to donate blood and save precious lives.
Large congregation was also witnessed at Eidgah in old city area of Srinagar where Hurriyat Conference chairman, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, offered prayers.
Reports of large congregations were also received from all district headquarters of Kashmir valley.
There was a minor law and order problem after Eid prayers at Safa Kadal as a mob pelted stones at security personnel. The mob was chased away by using batons and normalcy was restored.
Stone pelting incidents were also reported from Maisuma area of Srinagar. However normalcy was restored later.
JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, who had planned to offer Eid prayers at Lal Chowk along with businessmen and traders of the area, was detained by police ahead of the prayers. Another separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah was placed under house arrest.
However, Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani offered prayers at Hyderpora.
Soon after the prayers, people offered sacrifice of goats and sheep as part of Eid-ul-Azha rituals. However, the number of sacrifices of animals offered this year was far less as compared to previous years.
The areas like Lal Chowk, Regal Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Residency Road, Court Road, Janglat Gali, Koker Bazar, Hari Singh High Street, Goni Khan, Mehraj Bazar, Hazoori Bagh, Batmaloo, Karan Nagar, Jawahar Nagar, Solina, Raj Bagh where much festivity is seen on the occasion of Eid were deserted as these areas are filled with rubble.
Majority of people chose not to buy new clothes for Eid. The deafening sound of fire crackers was also missing on the occasion.
“We just offered prayers and went to back to our relative’s place where we have taken shelter these days. We have lost everything – our business, our house – and are virtually on roads. We have nothing to celebrate”, says Farooq Ahmad of Parsi Bagh, Srinagar.
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