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

[S. Jabbar]

So, why is it that elements in the Valley have now begun targeting drivers
carrying apples out (your post: 'Truckers bear the brunt of Valley
protests') ?   What's going on?


On 8/22/08 3:46 PM, "Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्" <mail at shivamvij.com> wrote:

> 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_truc
> k_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/0/18ABBC60E10CF113652574AC002
> BB253?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.
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