Life returns to normal in Kashmir after day-long strike

17/08/2017



SRINAGAR, Aug 16: Life returned to normal today in Kashmir valley, including summer capital Srinagar, following a day-long strike called by separatists.
However, a complete shutdown was being observed today in some areas in Beerwah in central Kashmir district of Budgam against the killing of four youth in security force firing on this day last year.
Authorities also lifted restrictions in the downtown and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) after two days.
Shops and business establishments reopened and traffic was plying on all routes normally in the summer capital, Srinagar, where some busy routes witnessed traffic jams in civil lines and uptown.
Work in the Government offices and banks was also normal. Meanwhile, all schools and colleges were open in the Valley after remaining closed for two days.
All educational institutions were closed on August 14 as a precautionary measure in view of killing of two youths on August 13 in clashes with security forces, triggered by the death of three Hizbul Mujahideen(HM) militants, including a self styled operational commander, in an 18-hour-long operation.
All the shops reopen in the main business hubs in civil lines, including Hari Singh High Street, Gonikhan, Residency Road, Maulana Azad Road, Mahraj Bazar, Batmaloo, Iqbal Park, Dalgate, Regal Chowk and Budshah Chowk.
The roads leading to Ganta Ghar in historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, closed yesterday with barbed wires, were reopened for general public this morning.
The situation was no different in the uptown and downtown, where shops and business establishments reopened after day-long strike yesterday.
Both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) urged people to observe a complete shutdown yesterday on ID.
Reports of normalcy were also received from other parts of the Valley, including Baramulla, Sopore, Bandipora and Pattan in north Kashmir. However, security forces remained deployed in strength to prevent any law and order problem.
Meanwhile, business and other activities resumed after remaining crippled for two days in entire south Kashmir, including Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam, where normal life came to a grinding halt against the killing of HM militants and two civilians in the subsequent clashes with security forces on August 13.
Barring some areas in Beerwah, similar reports of normalcy were also received from twin central Kashmir district of Ganderbal and Budgam.
Shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the road in Aripanthan village and adjoining areas in Beerwah on the first death anniversary of four youth, who were killed in security force firing on August 16, 2016.
However, Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway resumed this morning after remaining suspended for nearly 12 hours due to blocking of the road by huge boulders near Banihal, officials said.
Huge boulders came rolling down and blocked the highway at Rattanbas in Banihal area yesterday night, forcing suspension of the traffic, a spokesman of the traffic department said.
The clearance operation started early today and the highway was made traffic-worthy by 9.30 am.
Light motor vehicles from both sides are plying on the road today, the spokesman said.
However, heavy vehicles would be allowed from Srinagar to Jammu only due to road-widening work at various places along the highway.
Meanwhile, police and paramilitary CRPF personnel are being trained in standard operating procedures (SOPs) to help them deal with stone throwing incidents in Kashmir, CRPF Director General R R Bhatnagar said today.
The DG said strategy, training and new SOPs had been formulated.
“Using non-lethal ammunition mostly, we along with JK police have devised a strategy to put to work during strikes and stone pelting and you will see its effect soon,” he said.
The DG was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function held for widows of paramilitary personnel killed on duty. Among the personnel killed was Commandant Pramod Kumar, who died in a militant attack on August 15 last year.
On counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir, Bhatnagar said security forces were meeting with success.
“There is good coordination between the JK police, Army and CRPF, who are all working as one unit, and the operations will continue in the future as well,” he said.
Referring to the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen operational commander Yasin Itoo last week, the DG CRPF said seven commanders had been killed this year and 132 terrorists “neutralised”.
“In the coming time, we will have more successes,” he said.
Bhatnagar refused to speak on the number of militants active in the Valley but maintained that “anti-militancy operations are ongoing and whoever treads this path, will face action”.
On NIA probes into separatist and terror funding, he said these would have an effect.
“Illegal things, illicit funds are either for terror or law and order (disturbance) or stone pelting. The NIA raids will have an effect on them,” he said, adding there was already a “positive effect”.
He said the situation in Kashmir was “definitely under control”.

Share This Story


Comment On This Story

 

Photo Gallery

  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty