Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 16: Police today detained dozens of activists who were protesting against the Government for not ending lease of Tosa Maidan firing range to the defence forces in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
The protesters tried to hold a sit in at Municipal Park but were denied permission by the administration forcing them to come over to Press Enclave.
“While we welcome the statement of Finance Minister on Tosa Maidan lease but the protests will not subside till formal orders are issued,” the protesters said.
They said that the places like Tosa Maidan are a treasure of Kashmir and are being vandalized under a conspiracy.
“What is the basis that the Government of India has established 12 firing ranges in this small state whose population forms a meager one percent of the national population? While on the other hand a state like Utter Pradesh has only 5 firing ranges,” they said.
The firing range of Tosa Maidan has led to the pollution of natural resources of the area including the otherwise pristine waters.
Tosa Maidan is a meadow in central Kashmir’s Budgam district and is being used as a firing range by army since 1964 after being leased out to them by the then Government for 50 years.
“It is like living in hell as the Army continuously used artillery making our lives miserable,” said a protester.
The protesters threatened to take extreme steps if the Government extended the lease agreement.
“We will go and hold sit-ins where the artillery lands as it is better to die once than living in continuous fear,” they said.
The Sarpanchs and Panchs also threatened to resign enmass in case the formal orders of ending lease are not issued by April 18 when the agreement ends.
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