Militants’ Memorial Row: Day 7 of shutdown in Pulwama

Pulwama: Life in this south Kashmir town remained disrupted for the seventh consecutive day on Wednesday as the locals and police could not reach a consensus over allowing youth to set up a memorial to pay homage to slain militants, who died in a gunfight last week. However, most of the arrested youth have been released by police.

All the business establishments and shops remained closed on Wednesday while public transport remained off the roads.

Forces were deployed in every nook and corner of the town and the Shaheed Park where youth want to set up a memorial was sealed from all sides.

“The locals met the SSP Pulwama yesterday to reach a consensus regarding the demand of youth to erect the hoarding and the strike in Pulwama. But they could not reach any consensus,” sources said. However, the police released most of the arrested youths after the meeting.

Pulwama has been observing a shutdown since Friday after police foiled an attempt of locals to erect a “Martyr’s Memorial” plaque in a graveyard in the town near Rajpora Chowk.

The youth have said that the strike would continue till they are not allowed to come up with a memorial.

A police officer said, “We have released the arrested youth. We don’t want any law and problem in town but we cannot allow the youth to set up the hoarding of militants,” reported the daily Greater Kashmir.

Pertinently, two LeT militants including a district commander, who was a local resident of Alichibagh Kakapora had died in a gunfight at Goosu on December 31 and since then Pulwama has been observing a shutdown.