Amid a complete shutdown and security clampdown, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived here on a two-day visit. The separatists had called for the shutdown while the security was beefed up following the Monday’s attack on an Army convoy on the outskirts of Srinagar that left eight soldiers dead and 19 wounded.
After reaching Kashmir, Singh and Gandhi straightway went to 192 Base Hospital at the XV Corps headquarters to inquire about the well-being of the wounded soldiers. They met all the injured soldiers and lauded the supreme sacrifices of the martyrs. “I am proud of what Army is doing for the service of the Nation,” a defence spokesman quoted the Prime Minister as saying to the injured soldiers.
Militants of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit on Monday ambushed an Army convoy at Hyderpora in capital Srinagar barely 17 hours before the PM’s visit started. The attack took place despite high alert in the Valley. The militants managed to escape after executing the attack.
Separatists groups — both factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKlF — had called for a shutdown on PMs arrival that crippled the normal life in the Valley. A part of high security Green Belt near Dal lake was out of bounds for commoners including tourists to maintain security. Motorboats were rowing on Dal’s surface to keep a vigil on the area.
Shops, business establishments, educational institutions and Government offices were shut due to the shutdown. Even as there was no declaration of curfew in any part of the Valley, several parts of Srinagar were clamped under curfew-like restrictions.
late in the afternoon, the Prime Minister arrived at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex to release a commemorative postal stamp in honour of Shair-e-Kashmir Ghulam Ahmad Mehjoor.
In his chaste Urdu speech, the PM lauded the secular foundations of Kashmir and referred to Mahatama Gandhi who had seen the ray of hope in the smouldering period of Partition in 1947. He recognised the contributions of Mehjoor as a freedom fighter and vowed to contribute towards the efforts to promote Kashmiri culture and literature. The PM later interacted with several political, religious and ethnic delegations.
Meanwhile, house-arrested separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani asked the PM to fulfil commitment on the resolution of Kashmir issue. “The Prime Minister should read the writing on wall and shun traditional stubborn approach to fulfil commitment with respect to the resolution of Kashmir issue”, Geelani said in a statement.
The authorities also put an independent legislator Sheikh Rashid under house arrest to foil his attempt to stage protest against the “Center’s policy of disempowering Kashmiri people” and denial of return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru who was hanged in Tihar Jail in February.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the 17-kilometre railway line between Qazigund in south Kashmir and Banihal across the Pirpachal Mountains. A whopping amount of Rs1,600 crore has been invested on the project that includes 11 kilometre tunnel, the longest in India and third longest in south Asia.