Scores of Kashmiri Pundits stormed the residence of Union Minister of Water Resources Saifuddin Soz in New Delhi on July 6. They were registering their protest against the cancellation of forestland to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board by the Jammu & Kashmir Government. More than 200 Kashmiri Pundits protesting against the cancellation of forestland at Jantar Mantar marched to the residence of Shri Soz. The protesters under the banner of Amarnath Action Group, reached the residence of Shri Soz at around 4.40 pm and shouted slogans against the Jammu & Kashmir government.
?The Government had denied the Hindu pilgrims their right to worship by taking away land allocation for Amarnath Shrine Board. Kashmir had been a bleeding story for all the Hindu residents and now the Government took away our right to worship also. Shri Soz played a key role in negotiating the matter,? said Shri Ajay Pundit, one of the protesters. The protesters also had a clash with police, who rushed to the spot and went inside the premises. The police detained nearly 40 protesters. The protesters said they were conducting peaceful protest but the police used force against even the women and elderly people, which led to the commotion. Aditya Raj Kaul, an activist, alleged that the police beat up the protesters mercilessly and some of them even fell unconscious.
The whole community leadership including Shri Amarnath Vaishnavi, Shri C.L. Guddu, Shri T.N. Razdan, Shri L.N. Dhar, Shri Ramesh Raina and many others along with families and friends of protestors arrived in bulk and could secure release of protestors after a lot of leg work and formalities by July 7 evening. The treatment meted to these educated youth who just sought audience with the Minister elected from the state and expressed their anguish over the happenings, was rude and they were treated as if they were terrorists. Even the terrorists in India are given a lot of respect and attention by the vote bank hungry politicians.
There'san immediate need for abrogation of Article 370 to implement Uniform Civil Code across India. The anti-national sentiments in Kashmir promoted by politicians and separatists alike further raise doubts within the minority community of Kashmiri Pundits about the intent of the state administration on the return of Kashmiri Hindus, they said.
(FOC)
