If a Jammu Official does this, he is threatened action under service rules

GREATER KASHMIR 23.08.2008

‘We’re Kashmiris first '
M HYDERI

As sea of people poured to the summer capital’s Eid Gah, locals apart, even the government officials volunteered to provide refreshment mostly beverages to the sea of people who assembled for the congregational Friday prayers and address by the pro-freedom leadership. From supplying drinking water to the refreshment points, to its distribution, various government departments fed the Eid Gah Chalo marchers amid pro-freedom and pro-Islam sloganeering. The march call for which was given the Co-Ordination committee led by the pro-freedom leadership. Various government employee unions have been supporting the consortium. Since morning, the government-owned water tankers were doing rounds of various refreshment points feeding them with potable water while many such refreshment points were hosted by the government department themselves. Sources said GM Dar, Valley’s top official in the Public Health Engineering department had directed the district head to ensure adequate supply of drinking water for the Eid Gah chalo marchers. “Since early morning after completing our routine duty, I have been shuttling between various refreshment points feeding them,” said a PHE driver at a refreshment point few yards away from the Civil Secretariat. On the other hand government units like the Power Development Department, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) department and UEED had hosted the refreshment stalls on way to the Eid Gah where the government officials served the marchers. “We are supporting the co-ordination committee because we are Kashmiris first than officials,” said Muhammad Shafi Dar, the president of Electrical Employees Union which had a stall at Karan Nagar. The CAPD had its stalls near the department’s head office at Shaheeh Gunj while another worked on the Airport road. Citing reasons for supporting the freedom seeking Eid Gah Challo procession, the officials say they can’t stay away from the rest of the society. “Kashmir dispute has reached a turning point and we can’t stay away from it because we’re a part of Kashmir,” argued a senior official. Khurshid Alam, the president of Employees Joint Action Committee, said the government department’s had made the refreshment arrangements in co-ordination with each other. “It was one of the best services ever done,” Alam said while serving refreshment at Eid Gah. The Kashmir University teachers also participated in the march. Sources said the Kashmir University Teachers Association, Kashmir University Research Association and Kashmir University Students had supported the call. Today they marched with people and offered freedom prayer and some even reportedly served refreshments. To mention, while people have been providing refreshments during people’s protests which erupted few weeks ago, the involvement of government official has come new.