Avtar Bhat
PULWAMA, Aug 20: The irate migrant employees putting up at Haal, Pulwama transit camp today came to streets and protested against the yesterday’s incident of stone pelting in the camp by miscreants and anti social elements.
The protestors were joined by some migrants from other camps including Vessu in Anantnag district of South Kashmir and Sheikhpora migrant camp of Budgam district in Central Kashmir. They raised slogans against the State Government as well as district administration and demanded full security to all migrant camps in view of yesterday’s stone pelting incident at the camp.
Though the Relief Commissioner, Migrants, SP Pulwama, ADC and other local officers visited the camp earlier asking the migrant employees to call of the dharna. They assured them that the Government will look into the matter and punish the culprits under law but protestors refused to budge demanding the Minister of Relief, Revenue and Rehabilitation should visit the camp and give assurance to the camp inmates in this regard failing which they will pack up their luggage and migrate to Jammu and Union capital to lodge a protest there against the failure of the State Government to provide security to them.
To defuse the situation later the Minister of State with independent Charge of Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Aijaz Ahmed Khan along with former Chief Secretary and MLC, Vijay Bakaya, Revenue Secretary, Vinod Kaul, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, DC Pulwama and DIG visited the camp and assured the camp inmates that they will be provided proper security and the miscreants responsible for yesterday’s stone pelting incident will be arrested.
The Minister also constituted a Committee of prominent people of the area and migrant employees of the camp which will interact with Government from time to time and also work for building bridges between the displaced people and locals.
The local people including Panchs and Sarpanchs who were also present on the occasion assured full cooperation to the migrant employees putting up in the camp and said that they will not allow any body to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the area. They said the stone pelting incident in the camp was the handiwork of some miscreants who will be identified and arrested soon as the local people strongly condemn the incident.
MLA Pulwama Syed Bashir also visited the camp and assured migrants full support of the local population. He said no body will be allowed to repeat 1989-90 incidents as Kashmiris have suffered a lot on account of the violence.
It may be recalled that panic gripped the camp yesterday evening after some miscreants pelted stones at migrant quarters at Haal Pulwama. The incident took place soon after the visit of the DC Pulwama to the camp who on his return issued orders of demolition of some private structures constructed on the Government land in the area.
Later a demolition squad swung into action and dismantled the private structures in the area adjacent to the camp. This provoked the people who had constructed these quarters and they pelted stones on the Government quarters.
Some Hurriyat leaders also tried to visit the camp today but they were not allowed by the administration and forced to return from Pulwama, sources said. However, later the Hurriyat also condemned the incident.
Meanwhile various KP organizations have also strongly condemned the stone pelting incident at Haal by miscreants yesterday and demanded fool proof security for the migrant transit camps at Vessu, Mattan, Tulmulla, Sheikhpora, Baramulla and Kupwara.
Panun Kashmir convener, Dr Agnishekhar, KPC president Kundan Kashmiri, PK chairman, Dr Ajay Chrungoo, ASKPC president H L Chatta, PK president Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, KHC, president M L Thusoo, NC Minority Cell working president, M K Yogi and JTC president Shadi Lal have expressed their concern over the incident and urged the Government to ensure that such incidents don’t occur in future. They have also demanded immediate arrest of the people responsible for the act and shifting of female employees to the Jammu.
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