They say two is company three is crowd and when you are in Iqbal Park never think you are alone. You are being watched and every action of yours is monitored.
Baba Umar
If you are among the couples who visit the city’s Iqbal Park any time of the day, watch out, you are being observed! Your activities are being monitored from a tiny camera, installed by the police years back. “It is sheer interference in our privacy,” says a visibly disappointed boy. “What on the earth are they doing that for?” he questions, while referring to the police’s policy of having Closed Circuit Television cameras (CCTVs).
A middle rung police source, however, backs the intention of the department. He says the park falls in the vicinity of highly guarded Bakshi Stadium, Air Cargo and Indoor stadium and is the strategic location with regards to security of the city.“Yes we can trace any movement in that area and in the Park too,” he confirms. He says that closed circuit TV cameras were installed in the whole of India and these gadgets have helped the police in curbing the anti-social activities. He further says that it is also a new way of ‘moral policing’.But the ‘love birds’ find it hard to gulp down.“I am shocked to see them (Police) maintaining security at the cost of my privacy,” says Ajaz Ahmad. Ajaz studies engineering in a Chandigarh College and had come to Srinagar on a ten day leave. But after coming to know that he and his would-be wife is under scanner he finds himself in a tight spot.“I am engaged to a girl and I have come to meet her here in Iqbal Park,” he says. “But I guess I must change the place and timing,” he says, as he phones his ‘better half’ not to come for the rendezvous.Some even believe that on the name of moral policing, sitting somewhere in the screening department of Police Control Room, the cops might be having their part of entertainment out of it.“You don’t know on what they will be fixing these cameras?” quips Sarwar, a student.Even the park caretakers are coming to the rescue of the visitors. They say the visitors need to be protected and the park is manned by guards who are on the prowl if any thing of ‘such kind’ happens here.“The guards in civvies keep on checking for any trangresional acts,” says Altaf Ahmad, who is the in charge of Iqbal Park. “I guess we don’t need cameras to trace anything.”Most of the visitors, mostly couples, are not happy with the move. They feel such an act would cut the income of the park. Though families throng to Iqbal Park but unfortunately for the last couple of days no one was visible in the park. It would have been interesting to get their reaction on the said issue.
A middle rung police source, however, backs the intention of the department. He says the park falls in the vicinity of highly guarded Bakshi Stadium, Air Cargo and Indoor stadium and is the strategic location with regards to security of the city.“Yes we can trace any movement in that area and in the Park too,” he confirms. He says that closed circuit TV cameras were installed in the whole of India and these gadgets have helped the police in curbing the anti-social activities. He further says that it is also a new way of ‘moral policing’.But the ‘love birds’ find it hard to gulp down.“I am shocked to see them (Police) maintaining security at the cost of my privacy,” says Ajaz Ahmad. Ajaz studies engineering in a Chandigarh College and had come to Srinagar on a ten day leave. But after coming to know that he and his would-be wife is under scanner he finds himself in a tight spot.“I am engaged to a girl and I have come to meet her here in Iqbal Park,” he says. “But I guess I must change the place and timing,” he says, as he phones his ‘better half’ not to come for the rendezvous.Some even believe that on the name of moral policing, sitting somewhere in the screening department of Police Control Room, the cops might be having their part of entertainment out of it.“You don’t know on what they will be fixing these cameras?” quips Sarwar, a student.Even the park caretakers are coming to the rescue of the visitors. They say the visitors need to be protected and the park is manned by guards who are on the prowl if any thing of ‘such kind’ happens here.“The guards in civvies keep on checking for any trangresional acts,” says Altaf Ahmad, who is the in charge of Iqbal Park. “I guess we don’t need cameras to trace anything.”Most of the visitors, mostly couples, are not happy with the move. They feel such an act would cut the income of the park. Though families throng to Iqbal Park but unfortunately for the last couple of days no one was visible in the park. It would have been interesting to get their reaction on the said issue.
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