In demilitarisation din, new Army camp comes up in Sopore

Srinagar: Army on Thursday started constructing a camp in Hardshiva area of Sopore town, at a time when calls for withdrawal of troops are getting louder by the day.
Eyewitnesses told Press Bureau of India that in the wee hours today a contingent of Army’s 15 Rashtriya Rifles carrying bulldozers and truckloads of building material appeared in Pazalpora locality of Hardshiva village of the Apple town. The Army men sealed off a piece of grazing land with poles and flags that was recently allocated to them by the state government to set up a camp to counter militancy in the area.
To begin with, Army used bulldozers to level the ground. The civilian movement near the construction site was also restricted by the troopers.
Government primary school and high school and an Eidgah already exist on the hundreds of kanals of grazing land, a portion of which Army has acquired from the government in August this year. The Eidgah serve as prayer grounds for thousands of residents of Dooru, Sempora, Macchipora, Mundji, Takia Khan Mohammad, Cherhaar, Kawal, Umran and adjoining villages.
Army’s move to set up camp has created ripples in Hardshiva and its adjoining villages. An uneasy calm prevailed in the village, as alert troopers carrying automatic rifles kept a close watch on the movement of the people.
“Around 20 vehicles of Army, early this morning entered the village. They cordoned off the village and started constructing camp on a piece of land near Eidgah,” Mohammad Ismail, a local said.
“We’re deeply worried about the safety of our children, particularly young girls.  Army has a very bad track record in the district,” he added.
President, Hardshiva Eidgah, Bashir Ahmad said that the civil administration had assured the villagers that Army will not be allowed to construct a camp that will cause inconvenience to the villagers.
“The government had assured us that no camp will come up in the village. However, their promise has proved to be a hoax,” Ahmad said.
Sub-district magistrate (SDM), Sopore, Mohammad Ahsan said that he has no information about the land given to Army by the district administration.
“The district administration may have provided land to the Army. I have no information about it,” he added.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla, Bashir Ahmad Bhat could not be reached for comments as his cell phone was switched off.
Pertinently, veteran pro-freedom leader and Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani last year launched a vigorous campaign to protest the occupation of land by forces and to demand their complete troop withdrawal from Kashmir. Geelani, who kick started his campaign from South Kashmir’s Shopian district, claims around 2761140 kanals of land were under the occupation of forces.