Police uses force, imposes restrictions to foil Muharram processions

Police foiling Muharram procession in Srinagar on Wednesday. —Excelsior/Shakeel
Police foiling Muharram procession in Srinagar on Wednesday. —Excelsior/Shakeel

Traffic chaos in Srinagar; schools, colleges closed

Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Sept 19: Police today foiled Muharram processions by detaining scores of mourners and imposing restrictions in parts of Srinagar.
The main Muharam procession was scheduled from Karan Nagar to Dalgate. However, authorities erected barricades and deployed contingents of police and para-military CRPF to foil it. Authorities closed schools and colleges in Srinagar city as a precautionary measure.
Authorities imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar including Shaheed Gunj, Karan Nagar, Maisuma, Kothibagh, Sherghari, Kralkhud, Batamaloo and Ram Munshi Bagh Police Stations.
Restrictions were imposed in Residency Road, Maisuma, Abi Guzer, Lal Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Hari Singh High Street, Jehangir Chowk and Batamaloo and security forces erected barricades and were deployed heavily to prevent any vehicular and pedestrian movement in these areas.
Despite restri-ctions, scores of people tried to take out the processions at Shaheed Gunj, Batamaloo and Karan Nagar areas of Srinagar city. However, their attempt was foiled by police. Scores of mourners who tried to defy restrictions were detained by police. They were lodged in different police stations of the city.
A group of youth from Shaheed Gunj locality, defied the restrictions and tried to take out a procession towards Dalgate. When the youth reached near Jehangir Chowk, they were stopped and sent back.
A similar Moharram procession was taken out from the nearby Karan Nagar area that was also foiled by police. Police also foiled procession at Batamaloo. Police detained several mourners and lodged them in Police Station Batamaloo.
Normal life in parts of Srinagar city was affected due to processions and restrictions. Police used force and fired tear-smoke shells to disperse the mourners in Dalgate and MA Road.
The 8th Muharram procession would traditionally start from Guru Bazar and Shaheed Gunj areas of the Srinagar’s downtown and pass through Maulana Azad Road and Residency Road to end at Dalgate. However, since 1990, authorities have disallowed Muharram processions in uptown areas while smaller congregations in localities of downtown Srinagar and in the outskirts are allowed.
Anjuman Shari Shai organized multiple Muharram processions across Kashmir valley. Thousands of mourners participated in Zuljina procession that was carried out from Madeen Sahab Zadibal area of Srinagar city.
Besides, Zuljina processions were taken out at Abadpora, Awadawra, Bogha Chhal, Astan Sharif Wuyen Chadoora, Palar Budgam, Malik Gund Chatargam, Astanpora Sikandarpora, Gulshan Bagh Batakadal, Khomeni Chowk, Awdeena, Zalpora, Gund Nawgam, Sonaburn, Inderkoot, Gawmadao, Kehnpeth, Chhalipora and other areas.
As the authorities imposed curbs to foil Muharram processions they forget to issue traffic advisory leading to chaos on the roads. The commuters, mostly Government employees were shocked and fumed to see barricades everywhere. They got stuck in traffic jams for hours in scorching heat. It was only in the afternoon, when authorities realized their folly that police issued road advisory but till then it was messy situation everywhere.
Vehicles were caught in huge traffic jams at Bemina Bypass, Rajbagh, Abdullah Bridge, Lal Ded Hospital, Lal Chowk, Batamaloo, TRC and Dalgate. Due to strict restrictions, traders were unable to open up their shops in Lal Chowk, Jahangir Chowk, Hari Singh High Street, Maisuma and other areas.
Hurriyat Conference chairmen, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the use of force against the Muharram procession in different parts of the Valley.

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