We don’t come out by choice, but compulsion to feed families: Vendors
Srinagar: The ongoing unrest in Kashmir which erupted on July 9, a day after popular militant commander Burhan Wani was killed in a swift encounter in south Kashmir, is gradually losing its momentum with signs of fatigue quite visible on the roads in this summer capital.
While the Darbar (the power house) has shifted to winter capital Jammu, the zooming in and out of the ministerial cavalcades has also faded from the deserted streets of the city, but ironically, the movement of public transport has increasing rapidly.
People in various areas have started defying the protest programs of the joint separatist leadership spearheading the uprising. However sporadic clashes are still being reported from various areas but not of the intensity it were few months ago.
As the current unrest is just few days away from completing five months, the signs of fatigue are visible especially among the labour class who have started coming out to do their businesses.
The vendors set up their stalls along the Polo View stretch, Jahangir Chowk, Dalgate, Batamaloo and other places of the Srinagar, throughout the day, bothering least about the shutdown call of the Hurriyat.
“What will we eat? We have no other means to feed our family,” said Lateef Ahmed, a vendor, who sells shoes on handcart at Dalgate.
Most of the vendors, this reporter, talked to said that freedom has always been their priority over other things, but they are running out of money and there is no one coming to help them out. “We have no other option, but to do our business,” said Ghulam Muhammad, who sells fish.
Asked there is a shutdown call which still continues, Muhammad in his late 60’s said, “Who will come to help my family. I don’t have a Rupyih machine (Money minting machine) at home,” he said.
The vendors said that the Hurriyat leadership should look for other options to sustain this cycle of shutdowns.
“We will be at the front when it comes to sacrifice something for the freedom movement. But we have to live and feed our family also. Had Hurriyat strengthened Bait-ul-Maals at gross levels, situation would have been different. I need minimum Rs 200 a day to feed my family,’ said Manzoor Ahmed, a vendor. (PTK)