Amid strong public resentment and protests by local traders, the government on Friday formally sealed a wine shop in the Batamaloo area of Srinagar, which had been temporarily relocated from Pantha Chowk due to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra arrangements.
The decision comes after days of growing unease in the locality, with local shopkeepers and residents staging demonstrations against the establishment of a liquor outlet in the densely populated and religiously sensitive neighbourhood. The move had sparked wide-scale disapproval from civil society groups and religious quarters.
Prominent religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had also publicly criticized the authorities, terming the relocation of the wine shop as an insensitive act that disregarded the cultural and religious ethos of the people of the area.
In response to the rising opposition, and in acknowledgment of the “deep emotional and religious sensitivity” of the locals, the administration sealed the shop, a decision that was warmly welcomed by residents and the business community of Batamaloo.
“This is a victory of public sentiment. Establishing a wine shop here would have disturbed the peace and cultural fabric of this locality,” said one of the protesting traders while speaking to Kashmir News Trust.
The wine shop had reportedly been moved to Batamaloo from Pantha Chowk to facilitate security and logistical arrangements during the Amarnath Yatra, but its opening in the new location quickly snowballed into a major issue, triggering outrage.
Locals expressed relief over the government’s final decision, calling it a “mature and sensitive step” that reflects respect for public sentiment and religious values. [KNT]
