[Reader-list] Truck drivers, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh, bear the SASS brunt

[Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्]

Jammu stir leads to big fall in truck movement

21 Aug, 2008, 0400 hrs IST,
Masood Hussain, ET Bureau
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/Jammu_stir_hits_truck_movement/articleshow/3387128.cms

SRINAGAR: A confidential official report has confirmed that there is a
fall in the number of trucks to and from the Kashmir Valley. Compared
to 2007, the inward and outward movement of loaded trucks from the
state fell by 28% in July. In the first 18 days of August, the state
bound truck traffic fell by over 49% and outward by over 64%.

Tabulated at Lakhinpur, the gateway to J&K, the report suggests that
there were many days when there was no movement of any vehicle from
either side. "It was a situation when our officials at the gateway had
to literally flee in wake of attacks being carried out by the blocking
enforcers," a top official told ET from Jammu.

The revelation of the report accessed by ET suggests that not a single
bus has moved out of Lakhinpur or entered into the state in August
while the bus movement from the two sides in 2007 was 11,478. In July
only 70 buses could enter the state as compared to 7,661 in July 2007
as only 45 buses could move out against 7,537 last year. "That
essentially means whatever movement is happening from J&K is either by
rail or by air," the officials said. "There were attacks on two
tourist buses and at least in one case the bus with luggage of
tourists was set afire."

BJP national executive member Nirmal Singh on July 21 advised tourists
not to visit the Valley and the appeal came days before civil aviation
minister Praful Patel said in Srinagar that air traffic in J&K showed
a growth of 30%, higher than Delhi and Mumbai airports.

Intermittent blockades started soon after BJP state president Ashok
Kahjuria announced it on June 22 as part of the agitation against the
Amarnath land transfer cancellation order. It was later executed by
the SAYSS after it came into being as a 'non-political outfit'. There
were instances of Delhi-bound fruit-laden trucks being stopped and
looted in Kathua and Samba.

However, movement of cars was not impacted to the extent as bus and
loaded trucks. Inward car movement fell from 30,074 in July 2007 to
11,165 in July 2008 as the outward car traffic was 24,787 and 17,087
for the same period, respectively. Cumulative movement till now in
August was 44,499 inwards and 38,440 outwards for 2007 and 2008.

"If you see the overall comparison of all kind of vehicles — loaded,
empty, buses and cars —the fall in July was 49% in J&K bound traffic
and 40.72% in outgoing traffic," the official said. "In August there
was 42% fall in inward traffic and 47.49% in outgoing traffic."

Officials said even though there is lot of security, road continues to
be a safe passage. Most of the drivers from Kashmir are not ready to
ply on the road despite security because the intermittent attacks do
take place. Already Muhammad Lateef Wani, a driver from Pantha Chowk
died after being in a coma for many days at AIIMS. The attacks
continue even though the highway is supposedly secured by the armed
forces. Bashir Ahmad Shalla of Chattergam hamlet near Kanipora is the
latest victim who was attacked on Sunday in Kathua by rioters using
tridents and petrol bombs. He is currently admitted in a Srinagar
hospital.

"The movement is taking place but it is not normal movement," a senior
police officer said. "Normally in the peak season for Srinagar bound
trucks (summer) around 1,000 trucks cross the Jawahar Tunnel for
Srinagar and not less than 400 trucks leave Kashmir. It is October in
which Jammu bound traffic peaks with over 600 trucks a day."

Officials, however, do not admit that fall in traffic was because of
the agitation. "We are a consumer society and in wake of strike
traders do not order for provisions," an official said. "But, yes,
there were days when not a single truck could ply on the road."

Offering a comparative study — that the source said should at the best
be treated as an estimate because it does not reflect the overall
trend — a senior official said there has been a significant fall in
taxable imports and exports.

"If you compare first 10 days of August this year with that of 2007,
you will feel the difference," he said. In 2007, a total 6,820 trucks
laden with taxable goods reached Kashmir and in the first 10 days of
this month the number is 1,513. The trend is same in exports: 4,216
trucks in 2007 and only 884 this year. Fruit exports did suffer as
well: 884 trucks last year and 452 this year in 10 days. "The numbers
could be very different if you include non-taxable goods," he said.

The state administration, however, is making all efforts to reverse
the trend in wake of depleting stock positions in the Valley, Ladakh,
Doda and the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri. Governor N N Vohra
is personally monitoring the situation, officials said, adding that
the traffic is gradually moving up. "During the last 24 hours, 407
trucks laden with fresh fruit left the Valley for Jammu as 755 loaded
trucks with provisions reached Srinagar," a state spokesman said.
Early last week, when hospitals in Srinagar faced a situation with
several casualties, authorities flew a Hercules load of medicines and
surgical equipment after shortages were reported.

o o o

Truckers bear the brunt of Valley protests

Vikram Chowdhary
Friday, August 22, 2008, (Jammu)
Over the last few weeks, truckers have borne the brunt of the protests
both in Jammu and in Srinagar. But despite that, truck drivers of both
the regions are braving disruptions on the highway to ensure that
supplies are not hampered.

Satpreet Singh has returned home after spending two days in hospital.
Shaken, Satpreet said that he will never drive his truck to Kashmir.

Four days ago, a mob attacked his truck near Anantnag. Satpreet who
was transporting apples from Sopore in the Valley to Jammu was badly
beaten. He now has 11 stitches on the face.

"When we were getting apples, they stopped my truck at many places and
pelted stones. But then I had to safely get my truck back, but
couldn't avoid past midnight around two," he said.

Satpreet isn't the only one. Kashmiri drivers who transport apples to
other states face similar ordeal at the hands of protestors in Jammu
region.

Bilal Ahmed from Srinagar is travelling in a group with a dozen other
truckers from Kashmir.

Still fresh on his mind is the incident in which a driver from Kashmir
was beaten near Samba while another was seriously injured by
protesters about a week ago.

Though Army is patrolling the highway to keep protesters away over two
dozen truckers from Kashmir have been targeted so far.

"We get targeted in Jammu and Samba, but it's not just here, this is
there in the Valley as well. There also drivers are being targeted,
but the problem is for we drivers, drivers from Jammu Punjab and
Kashmir are facing the same problems," Bilal said.

Truckers from other regions can be identified and become easy targets.
So far protesters on both sides have damaged over 100 trucks.

The problem points on the highway are Lakhanpur, Kathua, Samba and
Udhampur in the Jammu region and Awantipora, Anantnag, Pampore in the
Kashmir valley.

Though Army has ensured there is no blockade on the highway from
Kathua to Srinagar, individual truckers are being targeted. And the
transporters have an appeal.

"Transport is victim of the both sides which is very unfortunate. On
the ground we are in the service of people of both regions getting
supplies for both regions," Harminder Singh, a transporter said.

Inspite of efforts by the Army and security forces to see that there
is a smooth flow of traffic on the highway, surely the disruptions
still remain. But truck drivers from Valley and Jammu are braving it
all to see that there is no effect on the supplies.


o o o

Valley's fruit growers threaten hunger strike

http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/18ABBC60E10CF113652574AC002BB253?OpenDocument
		
Srinagar, Aug 21 (PTI) Accusing the government of failing to provide
security to their trucks plying on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway,
fruit growers from the valley today threatened to launch an indefinite
hunger strike if the situation does not improve in the next few days.
"We have decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike on
Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road if the situation arising out of continuous
attacks on truckers on the highway does not improve in next few days,"
Fruit Growers Coordination Committee President Ghulam Rasool Bhat told
reporters.

Contradicting government's claim that the traffic on the arterial road
connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country was plying smoothly
despite protests in Jammu over the Amarnath land row, Bhat claimed
that a fruit laden truck was burnt three days back by protesters who
damaged six other trucks at Samba on Sunday evening.

"The truck, which was set afire, belonged to Jammu and was carrying
fruits from Valley," he said, adding "claims of administration that
the highway has been secured are proving to be a hoax".

Sopore Fruit Association president, Bashir Ahmed Beigh said the fruit
growers are suffering heavy losses.

"We have faced losses worth Rs 500 crore till date. Had Islam not
forbidden suicide, we would have ended our lives," he added.

Expressing concern over the attacks on truckers, Baramulla Transport
company Nazir Ahmad Bhat claimed that window panes of half a dozen
fruit laden trucks were damaged by the Hindu activists two days back.
PTI

o o o

Blockade Evidence Makes Way to Hospitals, Graveyards

Srinagar, Aug 19, KONS:
http://www.kashmirobserver.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=890:blockade-evidence-makes-way-to-hospitals-graveyards&catid=50:localnews&Itemid=81


Evidence of the violent blockade of the Kashmir valley is mounting
despite  vehement denials by elements in Jammu that they have any part
in the embargo or that any such obstruction was in place.
The case in point also flies in the face of the state and the central
government claims that the Jammu-Srinagar highway had been secured for
traffic and was now safe for Kashmiri drivers.
Bashir Ahmad Shala of Dangarpora, Naugam, narrowly escaped lynching in
Kathua, and is currently being treated in the burns ward of the SMHS
Hospital, while another driver who died in the AIIMS because of
injuries sustained in a mob attack on the highway near Samba, was laid
to rest in his native Pantha Chowk today.
He and other Kashmiri drivers had been attacked by rioters in Kathua
on Sunday when they where on their way to Delhi with truckloads of
fruit.
Talking from his hospital bed with severe burn injuries, Shala said
that they had first been pulled down from the trucks by the mob and
then given a severe battering.
Their vehicles were damaged and the consignment of fruit looted by the
violent mob, he said.
"We somehow managed to flee the clutches of the mob, but another crowd
was waiting for us, and it threw a petrol bomb into my truck, which
exploded in the driver's cabin," he said.
The blast inflicted extensive  burn injuries on Shalla, and he fainted.
"When I woke up, I found myself in the Kathua hospital, where doctors
bandaged me up and referred me to the Jammu hospital," he said.
In Jammu, doctors described his condition as critical and asked him to
get admitted.
But after spending a few hours in the hospital, her was gripped by
fears of more attacks by Hindu zealots, and fled the premises, making
his way to Banihal, from where he contacted his family.
He was taken home by his relatives and admitted to a hospital in
Srinagar, he said.