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| Former Mantri uses SHO to settle scores with pavement vendors | | |
Early Times Report
srinagar, Sept 3: The recent dismantling of Makkah Market, which was here allotted to pavement vendors by the state government just four months ago, has exposed how politicians use police and civil administration to settle personal scores with the people of their constituency.
In May this year, in a surprise development the government allotted prized five odd kanal vacant land near the historic Lal Chowk for construction of market for dislocated pavement vendors of Srinagar City.
That time many questioned up as to how come the prized-land, serving as a bus yard of the SRTC, was allotted to the pavement vendors. But the government went ahead with the plan while a MLA supported them.
But on September 2, the market was surprisingly demolished by civil and police administration, opening can of worms on how politicians work.
Farooq Ahmed Bhat, the president of the Makkah Market where over 500 pavement vendors were "rehabilitated" earlier, told Early Times that the market was demolished and their merchandise seized as they didn't respond to the diktats of MLA who wanted to use them for his political motives.
The MLA, who was not retained as a minister in the Mehbooba Mufti led government, though he was calling the shots in the first innings of the PDP-BJP alliance, wanted to use the pavement vendors as a ladder to be elevated as minister again.
The Makkah Market President said in July soon after unrest erupted in Kashmir, when the Valley was under strict curfew, the MLA phoned him, seeking presence of pavement vendors at a rally to be organized by his party in old City.
The vendors said they declined to accept his offer. Subsequently, as per Fayaz, the MLA again called him on July 29 seeking participation of the Makkah Market vendors at the foundation day of the PDP. "Don't you forget that I got his space allotted to you through Chief Minister, and now she wants you all to be present at the Annual Day," the Makkah Market President quoted the MLA as having said.
Sources said to show his supremacy in the party that he could fetch crowds even during unrest, the MLA had told his colleagues that he would get the largest number of people to the PDP's Foundation Day held on July 30 at the party head office at SK Park.
But given the unrest, as the vendors declined to attend the political gathering. The MLA had to finally eat a humble pie as he was made to sit among the audience than on the podium where other party leaders were seated.
After the PDP Foundation Day, the SHO, as per the pavement vendors started threatening them to kill them in encounter. The vendors said as they probed as to why the SHO was after them, they got to know that he is the henchmen of the MLA.
"MLAs brother was his (SHO)s classmate and they have revived the relationship to victimize us, because this MLA failed to use us," said some pavement vendors.
On Friday when the police appeared at the Makkah Market to demolish it, the pavement vendors came forward to tell them that government has allotted them the space. "We have spend over Rs two crores on the construction of the market and borrowed heavily to cherish our dream of earning livelihood," the vendors argued.
But the SHO started beating them ruthlessly and reiterated that he would soon "kill them in encounter."
"He is doing this all at the behest of him(MLA) who wants to use us for his personal gains(becoming minister)," the payment vendors said.
Repeated efforts to contact the MLA bore no fruit. When contacted the SHO said contested the claims of the vendors. "I have not threatened of any encounter but yes we have registered FIR against them for obstructing government work(of demolition of the market," the SHO told Early Times. |
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