Road link for flood victims: AJK University students observe token hunger strike

By Tariq Naqash

Wednesday, 15 Sep, 2010 MEDIA GALLERY

Taiwan’s eco-friendly blankets MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 14: Three students of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) University observed a token hunger strike for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in a remote Neelum Valley town to press the authorities to create a jeep-able track for over 7,000 people affected by the recent flood in Shonthar Nullah.

Kamran Baig, student of 4th semester of LLB, Sardar Talha, student of final semester of Msc Geology and Ahsan Ishaq, student of final semester of MSc Economics, were also joined by some local residents and shopkeepers to express support to their cause in the town of Kel, some 160 kilometres northeast of here in the upper belt of Neelum valley.

The trio had gone to the valley on September 7 to distribute cash donations among the families affected by swollen Shonthar Nullah and celebrate Eidul Fitr with them on behalf of their fraternity. Earlier, the AJKU students had launched a ‘shop to shop’ campaign from Mirpur on August 20 to collect donations for the affected families. The campaign ended in Muzaffarabad on September 6.

“We distributed those cash donations among 210 families of Shonthar Valley,” Mr Baig told Dawn by telephone from Kel.

Shonthar Valley is more than 20-kilometre long picturesque strip, surrounded by lofty alpine mountains, which ends at AJK’s border with Gilgit-Baltistan. The valley has been named after the Shonthar stream which flows through it and falls into Neelum River near the town of Kel. The famous Shonthar Polo Festival is also held in this valley every year under the aegis of AJK tourism and sports departments.

Mr Baig said the recent flash floods had wiped out the entire strip of road running through the Shonthar Valley, thus cutting it off with the main Neelum Valley Road. The swollen water stream had eroded even mule tracks due to which stranded residents were unable to transport anything to and from their area, he added.

“Since there is no road link to Shonthar Valley, there is no relief activity on the part of any governmental or non-governmental organisation in the area,” Mr Baig said, while sharing his observations during the trio’s on foot tour to the area.

He pointed out that the residents of different valleys in district Neelum used to dump rations and other essential commodities for winter season in the months of July, August and September. However, the flash floods since July had virtually rendered their areas inaccessible and they had consumed whatever rations they had stored in their houses. There was no possibility of dumping for the winter season in the absence of a road link.

He said the Shonthar Valley residents eked out a living by farming their small holdings. The area is known for its delicious potato and kidney beans, Mr Baig said, adding that farmers were however deeply worried about the transportation of their produce to the markets.

“We have spoken to almost all residents of Shonthar Valley and their unanimous demand is reconstruction of their road. They say they don’t need any relief goods but a road link that will help them sustain their economy through sale of their produce,” he said.

The AJKU student declared that they would not end their token hunger strike unless the government sent the requisite machinery to carve out a road in Shonthar Valley ‘on a war footing’.

“They need the road before the onset of harsh weather and if we do not see any action on the part of government in this regard we will continue our hunger strike unto death,” he said.

(http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn)