Bathindi emerge as mini kashmir, with locals helping stranded Kashmiris

By Athar Kirmani
Bathindi area of Jammu is still hosting more than 4000 stranded Kashmiris in their area on Tuesday. Many Kashmiris told this newspaper or telephone that locals were giving them free food and even money for transportation to some who have exhausted all thier finances while being in Jammu.
While many Kashmiris have been transported to valley by the local Auqaf committee of Bathindi, there is no trace of administration or police to escorts Kashmiris to this protected area. “Some of us needed hospitalisation, it was done by locals of Bathindi and not by police” said mudasir Ahmad who was thrashed by a mob in Jammu on Friday.
Soon after the pulwama attack on Friday during the band call to Mourn these killing, ‘right-wing goons’ torched dozens of vehicles and thrashed many Kashmiris on the roads dubbing them as terrorists.
Despite strict instructions by State governor satya pal malik to the police and administration that they should show no mercy while dealing with these goons, on ground police has been backing these mobs and those who were arrested have been let off by the intervention of a particular political party in Jammu.
“They threw even a petrol bombs on our quarters and injured some of us. Police arrested few of them and when we reached to the police station they were released and we’re accompanied by a corporator of a right-wing political party” said Ali Mohammed Bhat a sectretariat move employees. While the people of Kashmir are still facing intimidation and threats in thier own state in the Jammu region, hundreds of kashmiri traders and students are also coming back to Jammu to finally reach kashmir valley. “We were brought to Bathindi by the locals of the area and we’re given food and accommodation. Police or administration didn’t help us on the railway station when we reached Jammu” said Atif a student who has come from Deradoon back to his state along with dozens of colleagues.
Despite joint appeal of calm by Mehbooba Mufti and Omer Abdullah, there is no change in the ground as these criminals and goons have now backing of Jammu civil society including lawyers traders and Jammu media men. “It is unfortunate to see Jammu turning so hostile to Kashmiris. It’s most unfortunate that this anti kashmir campaign has takers in intelligentsia of jammu” said a senior valley based local editor.
The way people of Kashmir are being hounded post pulwama attack it shows once more that a particular political party had been able to brand and paint all people of Kashmir as terrorists. The most unfortunate, is now in all states especially in our own Jammu region it has many takers