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| Jammu shuts down, unites to protest beheading of Pak Sikhs | | |
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 23:
People of Jammu region Tuesday demonstrated a show of unity by observing a complete bandh and staging protests against the beheading of two Sikhs in Pakistan by Taliban.
The day-long bandh paralysed the normal life. Not only members of the sikh community, people from all walks of life, including Hindus, Muslims and Christians, protested the
beheading of Jaspal Singh and Mahal Singh, who were kidnapped along with two others by Taliban a month ago from Bara in Pakistan's troubled Khyber Pass. A ransom of three crore rupees was demanded for their safe return.
While shopkeepers closed their business establishments on their own, transporters too remained off the roads, expressing solidarity with the Pak sikhs and sending them a message that they were with them in this hour of grief.
Given by the Jammu and Kashmir Sikh United Front, the call was supported by various political and other organisations, including Bar Association, Jammu, Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Jammu and Kashmir Transporters Association.
Over 200 sikh youth came out of the Digiana Ashram at about 8.15 am and blocked the Jammu-Pathankote National Highway to vehicular traffic.
They burnt used tyres on the road to raise a blockade, amidst raising of anti-Pak and anti-Taliban slogans. More youth joined them later. Effigies of Pakistan and Taliban were also burnt.
After an hour-long protest, the youth moved towards Satwari Chowk in the form of a procession. Reaching there, they smashed the glasspanes of a minibus, which carried commuters. At several other places of the city also, people held protests and expressed their anguish over the treatment meted out to minorities in Pakistan.
Rallies were taken out and roads blocked by angry demonstrators at Upper Gadi Garh, Simbal Camp, Miran Sahib, Camp Gole Gujral, Rehari Chungi, Talab Tillo, Bakshi Nagar and various other places.
Matadoors, buses and load carriers remained completely off the roads between 8 am to about 5 pm. Minibuses started plying on selected routes and the shopkeepers also lifted their shutters after 5 pm.
While most of schools and colleges were closed, scores of people could be seen at minibus stops and many others walking on the city roads to reach their destinations.
Some sikh youth were seen on motorcycles taking rounds of the city areas and raising anti-Pak and anti-Taliban slogans. No untoward incident was, however, reported from anywhere. Wazir Singh, a protestor, said, " Pakistan, Inter-Services Intelligence and Taliban were behind the beheading of sikhs." Even as New Delhi on Monday reacted sharply to the horrific incident, protesters wanted central government to take
strongly with Pakistan the matter of the safety of sikhs.
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