Srinagar: A 62-year-old social activist from Pulwama on Tuesday staged a symbolic protest in Srinagar, using Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s 2024 election gesture to demand operationalisation of the long-pending Sub-District Hospital (SDH) at Kakapora.
Ali Muhammad Jan, a resident of Kakapora, pulled a handcart carrying an oversized green Kashmiri cap from his hometown to Srinagar, covering nearly 27 kilometres over two days. The protest drew attention across the Valley after videos and photographs circulated widely on social media.
The giant cap was modelled on the traditional cap Omar Abdullah had famously placed before voters during the 2024 Assembly elections in Ganderbal while seeking public support. Jan said he adopted the same symbolism to remind the Chief Minister about pending public commitments.
“Omar Abdullah sahib himself used this dignified way of seeking support from people. I thought this was the most respectful way to remind him to make the Kakapora hospital functional,” Jan told reporters at Srinagar’s Press Enclave.
The protest was aimed at demanding immediate operationalisation of the newly constructed Sub-District Hospital building at Kakapora, which residents claim has remained non-functional for nearly a year despite completion of construction.
According to locals, the existing Primary Health Centre in the area lacks adequate infrastructure and manpower to cater to the growing population. Residents have repeatedly demanded that the new SDH be formally notified and staffed.
Jan said the issue was also raised during the Budget Session of the Assembly, where the government stated that the building had not yet been officially declared as an SDH.
“If the government has constructed such a huge hospital building, then why is it not being made functional for the public?” he asked.
The activist said he spent around 15 days preparing the giant cap and decorating the handcart used during the protest. He also carried a memorandum signed by local residents seeking operationalisation of the hospital.
Jan started his march from Kakapora on Monday morning and reached Srinagar on Tuesday afternoon. He alleged that he was stopped near Sempora by local authorities and later prevented from moving beyond Lal Chowk towards the Civil Secretariat.
“I cooperated with police because my protest is peaceful and democratic. I only wanted to submit our demand before the Chief Minister,” he said.
The protest has sparked wider discussion over delays in making public infrastructure functional in several areas of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the healthcare sector where completed buildings often await staffing, approvals and administrative clearances for long periods.
