AIJAZ HUSSAIN
Associated Press
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Anti-India protests erupted Monday across Indian-controlled Kashmir during celebrations marking the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha that were subdued due to flooding that devastated much of the region.
Hundreds of people rallied against India’s control over the disputed Himalayan region, hurling rocks and bricks at law enforcement officers, who retaliated by swinging batons and firing tear gas into the crowds.
With many in Kashmir still reeling from floods last month that killed at least 281 people and caused an estimated $17 billion in damage to homes, shops and infrastructure, this year’s Eid celebrations were restrained, with Kashmiris forgoing the fireworks and parties considered a hallmark of the festival. Few vendors were selling toys, and fewer animals were sacrificed in honor of the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son on God’s command.
Even in areas unaffected by the flooding, many chose to keep Eid prayers low key in memory of those who died in the floods.
“I have never seen this widespread sadness on an occasion like Eid in my entire life,” said 80-year-old Gulam Mohammed. “This flood has also swept away happiness.”
Retired teacher Mohammed Ismail, 65, agreed that “everyone is in a stupor. Tragedy has silenced Kashmiris.”
While anti-India protests are somewhat common during Eid celebrations in the mostly Muslim region, which is also claimed by neighboring Pakistan, many Kashmiris have grown increasingly angry over perceived neglect by India in helping the region to recover from the floods.
“What celebration? We’ve lost everything,” said Rouf Ahmed, a hotelier in Srinagar, the main city in India-controlled Kashmir. “I don’t know how long we’ll have to be in this state now.”
While the floodwaters have mostly receded, some low-lying areas of Srinagar and other places are still inundated with now-putrid water four weeks later. Tens of thousands of people are still staying in makeshift tent camps, while garbage continues to pile up on the side of the roads.
Clashes broke out in Srinagar on Monday after police used razor wire to block off the central business district of Lalchok, where traders and some separatist leaders wanted to offer Eid prayers after the area was badly devastated by the floods. Before the planned prayer meeting, a large banner was hung across a major street reading “Wake up, Kashmir is crying for help.”
Police refused to allow the prayer meeting, however, saying there was no tradition of celebrating Eid in Lalchok. Police arrested a pro-independence leader, Yasin Malik, for allegedly organizing the meeting.
Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq urged strength and perseverance in addressing tens of thousands of people at Srinagar’s largest congregation.
“We have faced difficulties, but we don’t have to give up,” he said. “We have to trust in a compassionate God. He will help us in our rise again.”
As the prayers ended, the crowd turned to protesting India’s control over the region, chanting “Go India, go back” and “We want freedom.”
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