Sajad Kralyari

Srinagar, Aug 22: Shazia, 20, from old city who saw troopers killing her father, brother and uncle in front of her eyes was a happy soul on seeing Eidgah draped in green flags, some of which she had tailored free of cost.

"I was fascinated at the idea of making flags," said Shazia adding she still remembers the day when troopers killed his father in front of her eyes. "I was just a child then but I cannot forget the incident through the rest of my life."

"I tailored many flags. It gives me lot of happiness. I bought cloth on my own and distributed the green and white flags in the rallies," she said.

"I made special Pakistani flags for my brother," she said in Eidgah where she had come with many girls of her locality to participate in the Eidgah March called by the Jammu Kashmir Coordination Committee.

The girls accompanying her said that all the flags they were carrying were sewn by Shazia.

On Friday all roads, lanes and by-lanes leading to Eidgah ground were chocked with people waving green, black and Pakistan flags and hoardings in addition to wearing green and black arm and head bands. People had donated generously for making flags.

They had also fixed specially designed green stickers on which the demand for freedom was written in bold letters.

The volunteers from across the Valley had been busy getting flags prepared by the tailors and advertisers for today’s massive rally at Eidgah called by the Hurriyat’s Coordination Committee.

The youth from all over the Valley had collected money to buy cloth so that they would have sufficient number of flags for the Eidgah March.

Some volunteers from the interior of Rainawari had collected money on Thursday for making flags.

"We collected money to buy cloth so that we could make flags for today’s march. In earlier marches, we could not buy cloth due to strike. Today we have sufficient flags as we got three days for tailoring flags, headbands and making hoardings," the protesters who had come from Rainawari said.

The volunteers had also entered into the houses and collected money.

"People are generously donating for the flags. Most people give Rs 10. We have chosen the tailor who makes the flags for us," said one of the protesters.

Driver of a load carrier, Riyaz Ahmad who also owns a tailoring machine said he tailored hundreds of flags for his locality.

"I am devoting my evenings for making flags," he said. "People are collecting money to buy clothes which I have to design into flags for rallies. I have been making flags since the day one when the protests started against the economic blockade."

Ahmed is also offering his newly bought load carrier for ferrying protesters. He narrowly won the battle with life after he was critically injured in a blast few years back at Sabzi Mandi Batamaloo.

"I know what freedom means for us as I am living a new life. I earn my livelihood by ferrying vegetables from Dal to Sabzi Mandi Batamaloo. But during the protests, I ferry protesters. I want to do my bit for the freedom. On the day of Pampore March and today’s march, I ferried many protesters."

Many protesters had worn green stickers on their shirts which read freedom in white.

One of the protester from the old city wearing green freedom sticker said: "We got hundreds of stickers made yesterday. Wearing this green sticker gives us a good feeling."

Girls too were not lagging behind in doing their bit for the ‘freedom struggle’ .

[Rising Kashmir]

Posted on 24 Aug 2008 by Webmaster