Engineer’s novel way of protest on Army casualties

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 24

Sandeep Rathore, 32, an electronics and communications engineer, says seeing jawans’ bodies coming back home in coffins from Kashmir has hit his psyche adversely, leading him to raise his voice against their killings.

Rathore, a resident of Janipur, Jammu, attends to his job as engineer in the day and from 6 pm to 12 midnight, stands on the bridge on the Tawi river, holding a placard which appeals to the government “Stop killing jawans”.

“Jawans being killed in no-war zones by militants in the valley is intolerable. Every other day, our officers and jawans get killed in encounters with locals as well as foreign militants,” said Rathore.

He said showering of sops, amnesties and gifts on stone-pelters and sympathisers of militants should be stopped by the government.

Rathore, whose campaign entered its eighth day today, said he would conclude it on June 29. “I will go into the next phase which will be decided after June 29”, said Rathore.