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| Your freedom ends where mine begins | | Women protesters block NH for four hours causing inconvenience to thousands | | Bashir Assad
srinagar, Aug 2: While registering protest against the Government for its inefficiency rather insensitivity towards the problems being faced by its subjects, is the right of the people and the Constitution guarantees their freedom for expression, however, this "freedom" often has a negative effect on fellow human beings. To be very specific, you do not have the right to endanger someone else with your "freedom." This is what thousands of people traveling on National Highway in Srinagar had to taste today when a handful of women in high security cantonment area (Shivepora) blocked the National Highway about four hours while protesting against shortage of water in the area. And surprisingly not a single person from the administration visited the spot to pacify the protesting women. Thousands of passenger and private vehicles got stuck on the highway during the period causing great inconvenience to passengers including men, women and children.
This all started when around 34 women from Shivpora locality assembled on the highway shouting slogans against the Omar Abdullah Government for its failure in providing basic amenities to the people. The agitating women alleged that their locality was without water for last three or four days. The women protesters blocked the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway near Badamibagh cantonment area against water scarcity. However, none from the administration visited the spot to pacify the agitating women and the prolonged blockade caused great inconvenience to the passengers.
While watching this development very closely, one is justified in calling this Government by whatever bad-name one chooses as it was very astonishing that barring some police officials no one from the administration turned to the spot. On the other hand one is also justified in saying that the agitating women took thousands of people including patients, old and young far -granted while expressing their anger against the insensitivity of the Government. Nobody, not even cyclists were allowed to cross the blockade.
Sensing the mood of the angry agitating women, thousands of passengers from either side started walking by foot in scorching heat and many infants and elderly fainted on way to and from Srinagar. Hundreds of women were seen crossing the blockade mark with their infant children tasting the "freedom" to protest. It was at 2:45 pm that lady police swung into action to disperse the agitating women, then only traffic could be restored on the busiest Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
The bottom line is that conservatives need to get over themselves first as freedom, morality and rights, end where the other's begin and that includes being safe from one's stupidity. An English thinker has rightly said, "You can have all the guns you want, I'll just regulate the bullets. I'd have no problem if the only people the gun whacko can accidentally shoot other gun whacko".
As for the problems being faced by the people in both Jammu and Kashmir regions of the State due to non-availability of water, erratic power supply, taking to streets is a routine affair now and the Government's failure too is a customary affair.
Despite Government's assurances of ending unscheduled load shedding during in scorching summer and ensuring power supply during Sehri and Iftar timings , people in most parts of the State are up in arms against the Government for its failure to fulfill its commitment.
They complained of the difficulties they face due to incessant power cuts and acute water shortage of water during summers.
The incessant power cuts water scarcity in most parts of the State have driven many people to protest against the inadequate infrastructure while many also threatened not to pay their electricity bills till the issue was resolved.
"It is unfortunate that Government has failed to provide basic facilities to the people during Ramadan. The electricity curtailment has passed all the limits. Eight hours power outage is unacceptable," Raja Begum of Shivpora told Early Times.
She said Government should have kept all the essential commodities available to the public in the holy month. Since the first day of Ramadan, Valley has been facing acute shortage of cooking gas, water besides bearing frequent cuts in supply of electricity.
"This Government is least bothered to look into the public grievances, then why it makes tall claims when it is not in a position to deliver on the grounds," Muhammad Anwar another angry resident complained.
"It is an irony that people cannot even arrange water for ablution (wudooh) not to talk of daily bath as the water taps have been running dry during this holy month," Shabir Ahmad Guru told Early Times. |
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