Protest demonstrations were held in Srinagar, Poonch and other areas against the anti-people policies of the occupation regime. According to Kashmir Media Service, people took to streets in Batamaloo area of Srinagar against the fleecing of the Kashmiri people in the name of the installation of smart meters by the BJP regime. Opposing the installation of smart meters, the protesters, mostly women, told the media that they cannot pay hefty bills generated by smart meters. “Our income is very nominal as the majority of the people in our area are either working as salesmen, auto-rickshaw drivers or roadside vendors. We hardly manage the school fee of our children,” said a woman among the protesters.

Anguished by the snapping of the power supply, the protesters said they have many ailing people in the area who are on oxygen support and need electricity for life support machines.“The reason for snapping the electricity here is smart meters; our area is so downtrodden that it is supported by a locally established charitable institution. How can one afford the bills of smart meters,” said another woman. The residents complained that the electricity in their area has been snapped for the last several days.

Meanwhile, up in arms against the deliberate attempts by the Indian government to make Kashmir youth morally corrupt, activists of many political and social organizations staged a strong protest demonstration in Saiklu area of Mandi, Poonch district. The protesters said that on one hand Modi government is claiming to take initiative to curb drug and other such things, but at the same time it is opening wine shops in Kashmir.“We want schools, colleges, grounds and all other facilities for our youth here and not the wine shop which will prove disaster for their future.

Addressing media on the occasion, religious scholars criticized the administration for opening wine shops in the territory. The religious scholars said that when the process to open wine shops was started, people from all the section of Tehsil Mandi had opposed the move and urged the authorities to refrain from corrupting the Kashmiri youth, morally. “But still after that, the license to open the shop has been issued and we once again urge administration to cancel the issued license and close the wine shop,” they added.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan: INP