Help us go back to Valley: Stranded Kashmiris to guv

JAMMU : Kashmiris stranded in Jammu’s Muslim-dominated Bhatindi area on Sunday appealed the governor’s administration to send them back to their homes in Kashmir valley as soon as possible.

Though the administration sent about 700 Kashmiris, under police protection, from Mecca Masjid in Bhatindi towards Srinagar around 11pm on Saturday, the number of Kashmiris from other parts of the country continue to pour into the mosque following a backlash against Pulwama attack.

Habibullah, 71, from Budgam said like him, hundreds of Kashmiri people from the Valley have been left stranded in Jammu, firstly due to closure of Jammu-Srinagar national highway for a week and secondly because of the curfew.

“We all want to go back to our homes. We request the governor to send us back to our homes as soon possible,” he said.

Auqaf, under Waqf board, along with mosque committees and locals have been providing food and bedding to the stranded Kashmiri passengers.

The old man regretted that some mischievous elements deliberately created the problem. “Tell me, a common Kashmiri or a Dogra will earn a twotime meal for his children or indulge in violence,” he asked.

Habibullah informed that following the Pulwama attack, Kashmiris from other parts of the country continue to pour into Mecca Masjid.

“They are coming from other parts of the country to Mecca Mosque and other camps in Bhatindi,” he said.

HOTEL OWNER SAVES STUDENTS

Violence broke out in Gujjar Nagar area of the walled city on Friday when a Hindu hotel owner stopped the mob from entering his hotel and saved around 20 Kashmiri students, who had rented hotel accommodation on second floor.

Arif Hussain, one of the students, said, “After appearing for GATE exam, we went to Delhi where we came across the news of Pulwama attack. We came back to Jammu and checked into a hotel near bus stand. The next morning, on February 15, some people were out on the street that smashed window panes on the first floor and came to know about us. They tried to storm the second floor. They also beat up the Hindu hotel owner but he didn’t allow them to enter second floor and hence saved us.”