A DANGEROUS PRACTICE
Authorities immediately after the killing of HM operations Commander Riyaz Naikoo in a fierce encounter at Beighpora Village of Pulwama district ordered snapping of all mobile and internet services, without analyzing its consequences on general public amid the complete lockdown for Pandemic Covid-19. The security apparatus at highest level is understood to have sensed law & order problem, so decided to take off the lifeline. However, the authorities should have appreciated human emergencies and allowed at-least mobiles to ring. The district administrations in all the districts of Kashmir valley immediately ordered cancellation of curfew passes to the people who were in the field to counter the huge threat of pandemic, run the emergency services in cities and towns and the media persons, who too have been risking their lives to report on varying issues of importance including the updates & emergencies of Pandemic Covid-19. There have been chaotic situations outside the offices of District Magistrates in all districts and at security points, desperate people pleading for permission to move patients, reach their offices/locations to discharge their duty. Mostly the families of patients have been struggling to carry patients but had to face embracement and at times wrath of the cops, who are adamant to execute the lockdown order in letter and spirit.
The responsibility of the administration to prevent any untoward situations in the given circumstances can’t be questioned, but in a democratic system, which you claim to be, you can’t take away the basic rights of the common people on the bases of your assumptions of security concerns. Kashmiri people have suffered a lot during the security-related lockdown for about 5-6 months, when no telephone, mobile or internet was allowed to function and which caused numerous miseries to every soul in Kashmir, but the authorities shut their eyes to the dangerous implications on human lives.
State has to be concerned to the basic needs of the people and the communication is a must in present times to remain connected at-least with the emergency services and in any situation, the executing agencies need to be trained in extending a helping hand to the people who are in dire need of medical or any other assistance in given situations failing which, the people get fed-up and lose their patience to react dangerously, as we have the past examples insight. If the authorities, instead of addressing such situations do engage themselves in other issues, will result in losing the remaining faith & trust in Government, which is not healthy for the state.
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