Petrified people stage strong protest, block highway at Boniyar
Reyaz Rashid
Baramulla,Jun 14: Unleashing reign of terror and creating panic in north Kashmir’s frontier villages Uri and Boniyar man-eater wild animals has been on killing spree with another 10-year-old girl was mauled to death by beasts this morning, taking the toll to three in last three days triggering protests in Boniyar Uri on Tuesday.
Locals said that a girl identified as Rutba Manzoor daughter of Manzoor Ahmad Bhat of Bernate village of Boniyar was attacked by a wild animal and taken away to nearby forests this morning.
“Alarmed by her cries and screams,family and locals tried to chase the wild animal, possibly a leopard, however, the beast disappeared in the dense forests with the child,” he added.
Pertinently, this is the third such tragic incident in the last 48 hours in Uri area and wildlife authorities and district administration in Baramulla was caught napping on this grave issue.
All panic and petrified as the killing of children by the man-eater leopard continued, family members of victim jioned by presidents of Bernate and its adjoining villages staged strong protest demonstration against wildlife authorities for its ‘callous attitude’ towards loss of innocent lives.
Following the death of the girl whose body was recovered from the forest in the villages, hundreds of people took to streets stage strong protests against Wildlife department district administration at mian market Boniyar .The protesting people blocked Barmaulla-Uri national highway for hours and kept the body of slain girl on higway outside Tehsil headquarters in Boniyar.The protestors shouted slogans against the Wildlife Department and civil administration for their alleged failure to contain the incidents in the area. “The authorities are not taking any strong steps to tackle the issue which unfortunately has led to back-to-back killings”, a protestor said. “This is the third incident in our area in last three days, we had already informed the Wildlife Department about the free roaming of wild animals in the area, but they did not take any measure to protect our lives and children,” said Abdul Khaliq, a neighbour of the victim.
Demanding action registration of a case against Wildlife Department,Khaliq said, “The nearby forests pose a serious threat to our children’s lives. We do not let our children to go school and prevent them to play outside homes it is petrifying living here,”
“It seems the authorities are not serious enough towards the issue, had they been we wouldn’t have lost three precious lives that too in a spate of few days”, another protestor said.
The protestors were later pacified by SDM and SDPO Uri, upon which they dispersed from the site peacefully. Meanwhile a Wildlife Department official said that they have already sent several parties to the area to trace the animal.
“It happens that such beasts frequently change locations making it relatively difficult for us to catch them”, he said adding we are putting our efforts to catch the wild beasts or if required kill the beast in the shortest possible time.
Notably, two minor boys fell prey to wild animal(s) in two incidents in the last few days at Cholan Kalsi Ghati and Trikanjan Boniyar areas.
On Sunday evening, body of a 12-year-old boy identified as Shahid Ahmad son of Abdul Jabbar of Trikanjan was recovered from forest area after he went missing when he had gone to bring back the cattle in a nearby forest area.
On Saturday, a 15-year-old boy identified as Muneer Ahmad of Kalsan area of Uri was mauled to death by a wild animal.
The back to back incidents in Uri area have created panic among the local residents and they have urged the authorities to catch the wild animal.