‘Bloodshed news reminds us of Valley during 1990s’

Kashmiris based in Delhi remain a worried bunch, many reconsidering visiting home

Following the recent encounters in Srinagar, Kashmiris based in Delhi remain a worried bunch, with most expressing “uncertainty, fear and anxiety” on returning to the Valley.

For Amad (name changed), who regularly shuttles between the Capital and the Valley, the encounters in Rambagh and Hyderpora areas — which left seven persons dead — have made him “fearful of stepping out of my house”.

“I went to Srinagar a couple weeks ago to visit my family and the incidents took place shortly after. I was really scared to step out of my house because such incidents trigger your anxiety and you start worrying about your family’s safety. Every time we receive news of bloodshed, it reminds us of Kashmir in the1990s and the trauma that our parents’ generation had to go through. It makes you reconsider visiting home,” he said.

Agreed another Kashmiri based in Delhi who was visiting her parents in Hyderpora during the encounter. She, who did not wish to be named, said the news of the encounter left her “horrified”.

Safety concerns

“I was in the neighbouring colony when the encounter took place. I had stepped out to run a few errands. My family went into a frenzy and tried calling me just to check whether I was safe. Hyderpora and Rambagh are busy areas and all my friends are scared to step out because they have to pass by these areas. Such incidents take a toll on our mental health. Also, they make us worried about our family’s safety.”

On November 24, three “militants” were killed in an encounter at Srinagar’s Rambagh area during the evening hours; on November 15, four persons were killed in an encounter at the city’s Hyderpora area. The residents in the Valley have expressed concerns that the incidents were “staged encounters”.

M.K. Raina, a Delhi-based theatre personality from the Valley, said that “people are sad about the killings”.

“Killings won’t provide a solution, on either side, and it is pathetic as to what’s happening in the Valley. Parents want to send their children outside Kashmir for their safety and it’s an existential crisis. I have grown up seeing olive green uniforms everywhere and a solution has to be found to this conflict, which has been going on for over 30 years,” said Mr. Raina.