Removal of signboard urging tourists to respect Kashmiri culture condemned

February 22, 2025Last Updated: February 22, 2025

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Srinagar: Member of Indian parliament Agha Ruhullah Mehdi and eminent Kashmiri religious scholar Agha Syed Mohammad Hadi have condemned the removal of a signboard in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk that urged tourists to respect local culture, refrain from alcohol and drug use and keep the city clean.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the signboard, installed by the Traders Association at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, welcomed visitors and advised them to “love and cherish their families” while respecting local traditions. It specifically asked tourists to avoid consuming liquor, using drugs, spitting on roads, and smoking in public spaces.

Agha Ruhullah Mehdi, criticizing the action, wrote on X, “Even appealing to tourists to respect local sensitivities is now illegal in Kashmir. Police clarify which law was violated by the signboard? Or is the only law in place the one that silences Kashmiris?”, he added.

He further said the administration is suppressing Kashmiri identity. “The colonial LG administration, in cahoots with the Indian forces, has turned Kashmir into an Orwellian nightmare—where people can’t protest, safeguard their identity, or even speak for their culture,” he stated.

Mehdi warned that such suppression would only fuel resistance. “Suppression breeds resentment. The more you push Kashmiris to the wall, the stronger their will to break it down. Kashmiris, like any other society in this country, have the right to preserve and protect their culture and faith.”

Calling for a change in approach, he urged the police to act with responsibility. “Police are advised not to work like a colonial power but work and behave as local police guided by law and respectful to the community and its sensitivities,” he maintained.

The removal of the signboard has sparked debate, with some arguing that community-driven initiatives promoting ethical conduct should not require official approval, while others believe such messages must align with government regulations.

It is to be mentioned that police, acting on the orders of the New Delhi-appointed Lieutenant Governor in Srinagar, swiftly seized signboards and standees urging tourists to avoid alcohol and drug consumption in the city’s commercial hub of Lal Chowk.

Agha Syed Mohammad Hadi in a post on X criticized the administration’s move, asking, “Why couldn’t they leave it up for even an hour? Are they not part of the campaign for a drug-free Kashmir?”