Martyrs’ Memorial Row: Demand intensifies as shutdown continues

Pulwama: The youth of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district are pretty adamant about the installation of a ‘martyrs’ memorial board’ at “martyrs’ graveyard” at several town squares and it has created unrest in the area.

A complete shutdown was observed in the town on Thursday over the demand, with some youths putting tin sheets on roads and forcing shopkeepers to close their shops.

The reports of a local daily said that the youth have been demanding to glorify the killed militants in the valley.

The demand was raised after the killing of a local militant, Umais Ahmad Sheikh in a gunfight in Bandipora district in north Kashmir.

Again, after two militants were killed in an encounter at Goosu village in the district, the demand intensified.

There have been several rounds of talks of the Auqaf Committee and the Traders Federation with the administration followed by frequent shutdowns in the district headquarters but the demand has been rejected by the administration.

According to Bashir Ahmad, president of Traders Federation, “We demand a simple memorial board with some verses of the Quran.”

“There would be no photograph on the board, as shown on some social networking sites. But the administration tried to impose its terms, which we refused,” he said.

He maintained that most traders in the town were young and were adamant about installing a “memorial board”.

However, the Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama Niraj Kumar has said that the administration cannot allow putting up a “martyrs’ memorial board” in the town.

He said that he had urged the Auqaf Committee and Traders Federation to open shops and free the youths arrested in connection with stone-throwing incidents but they are adamant about their demand.