BENGALURU: Several city residents hailing from Jammu and Kashmir are in a state of despair as the state remains under lockdown. With tensions rising, many Kashmiris are rushing to the airport to head to parts closer to the Valley in order to connect with their families.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement in the Rajya Sabha abolishing Article 370 has led to a blanket of silence engulfing the Valley. With no phone or internet services in their hometowns, and unable to contact friends and family, many Kashmiris in Bengaluru are gripped in a sense of panic.
“My husband left for Srinagar last night, and within the next few hours, all lines of communications were shut. I am leaving with my seven-year-old son in order to catch a flight to Delhi. The news is very unsettling and I can only sense panic as of now,” Ghazala Peer (name changed), a 29-year-old homemaker told CE.
Talking about the lack of accessibility, Fayaz Qadri (name changed), a 26-year-old businessman in the city, said, “From the outset, the situation has put us in a state of worry.”
Desperately trying to contact his family and reaching a dead-end, 24-year-old student Ehsan Bhat said, “The government has alienated the state and taken a decision without taking the people into confidence. It’s undemocratic in every sense, you cannot clamp down on the basic rights of people. This may have adverse effects and that worries me.”
The government’s decision has, however, evoked mixed reactions. Vinamar Khar, a 24-year-old software developer expressed his happiness with the decision. “We’ve always been considered a minority, so no government was willing to do anything for us and we have been in exile for the last 20 years,” he said.
“We cannot go back now after having settled in places all over the country but it’s nice to know somebody thought of us. I also think that while the first two months of adjusting to this change might be difficult, in the long run, it will prove useful for improvement of trade and commerce in Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, another youth of Kashmiri origin said, “Resolving such issues requires rigorous dialogue. This cannot be achieved by alienating the citizens. The removal of Article 370 has been carried out in an undemocratic manner and shows that the situation can get worse. How is this decision logical when so many unresolved issues lie in front of us?”
A Kashmiri student who did not want to be named echoed the thoughts. “For decades, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed a war-like environment. Abolishing Article 370 has also taken away the right of the people to choose their fate. I can only worry about what’s coming in the future,” he said.
(With inputs from Simran Ahuja)