Unwanted ban on civilian traffic on Kashmir highway

Snatching the right to travel from the people under the garb of security on a highway which is the only surface link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country speaks volumes about the administrative wisdom of the heads of law enforcing institutions responsible for banning the movement of civilian traffic on Srinagar-Jammu highway two days a week . Though unquestionable is the concern of the governor’s administration and the union home ministry on the vulnerability of the army and paramilitary convoys to attacks on Srinagar-Jammu highway but the same does not given them a license to ban the movement of the civilian traffic two days a week in conflict with the larger public interests in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions of the state . The ban on the movement of civilian traffic coming one and a half month before the commencement of the annual amaranth yatra and the beginning of the holy month Ramadan shows that both the state and central governments are not concerned about the facilities required for the smooth journey of amaranth yatris and free availability of essentials to muslims in Kashmir valley during the holy month of Ramadan. Keeping in view the experiences of the shortage of essentials caused by the frequent closures of the Srinagar-Jammu highway in winter months, the restriction on the movement of civilian traffic two days a week would by all probabilities trigger shortage of essential commodities in mid summer months ahead of the commencement of annual amaranth yatra and the beginning of the holly month of Ramadan. The movement of the civilian traffic can at the best be restricted for few hours to ensure the incident free movement of the army and paramilitary convoys and the option of running special train services from Baramulla to Banihal exclusively for army and paramilitary contingents can also be exercises to ensure their incident free movement upto Banihal.
The ban on the civilian traffic also shows that government has not taken into consideration the heavy movement of the civilian traffic on the eve of the shifting of move offices from Jammu to Srinagar commencing just after 15 days from now. Exempting students, tourists and essential services from the ban on the movement of civilian traffic won’t make much difference as approaching the nodal officers for permission of the vehicles in case of essential services would also sent out wrong signals about the law and order issues to tourists visiting Kashmir in mid- summer season. Though Governor’s administration has taken some popular decisions in larger public interest both in Kashmir and Jammu divisions of the state during last six months, but the ban on movement of the civilian traffic for two full days a week is obviously a miscalculated decision obviously taken in haste in conflict with the larger public interests of the people of both Kashmir and Jammu division of the state. Since the ban on movement of civilian traffic is tantamount to punishing the people for none of their faults in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions of the state , the administrative wisdom demands that ban on movement of civilian traffic imposed for two days a week on Srinagar-Jammu highway is revoked completely at the earliest.