Rain aided law-enforcing authorities briefly in Kashmir on Wednesday as the Valley remained generally calm and protesters stayed indoors even as curfew and restriction on the assembly of more than four people continued in most parts.
Curfew was reimposed in parts of Kashmir, including five police station areas of the city, to thwart a separatist march to Kulgam district even as mobile services were partially restored in the Valley which has been rocked by violence since July 8.
The much-awaited rainfall began early in the morning and prevented even morning walkers from coming out. This brought some respite to the police and paramilitary personnel manning the streets and by-lanes of the capital Srinagar where massive protests were held a day before, forcing the authorities to revisit the decision to lift curfew after 17 days.
The protests resulted in injuries to more than a dozen people and compelled the authorities to re-impose curfew. The protesters had defied the separatists’ call to allow free movement of people after 2 pm.
On Wednesday, the separatists had called for a march towards south Kashmir’s Kulgam district where several people have been killed and injured after protests erupted in Kashmir in the wake of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.
Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, leaders of two factions of Hurriyat Conference attempted to break the police cordon around their respective residences to lead a march towards Kulgam. However, they were taken into custody and lodged in nearby police centers.
Normal life continued to remain paralyzed for the 19th consecutive day as schools, business establishments and Government offices remained shut and there was no traffic on the roads except in some localities of uptown Srinagar.
Minor clashes occurred in a few areas in south Kashmir’s Kulgam and Shopian besides Khanyar area of downtown Srinagar in the evening. A peaceful demonstration was also held in Anantnag town.
Meanwhile, a joint statement issued by Geelani, Mirwaiz and Yasin Malik called upon the people to hold pro-India political parties “accountable, answerable and pressurize them to vacate”. The people have been asked to “ostracize them and boycott them at all levels, socially and publicly.”
This is the first direct threat to mainstream politicians from their separatist counterparts and is likely to have an impact on the ground. last week, protesters attacked PDP legislator from Pulwama Khalil Bandh who was trying to reach Srinagar under the cover of darkness. He has been admitted to hospital with multiple fractures.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti sough the people’s cooperation in making a politically-stable and economically-emancipated Jammu & Kashmir. Interacting with civil society members at the central district Budgam she urge the Centre to make a fresh start to revive a peace and reconciliation process in the State through tangible Confidence Building Measures.
Calling for an end to the violent protests which have resulted in the loss of lives and injuries, the Chief Minister said, “Violence has not served any purpose in the past, nor is it going to do so in future except for bringing miseries to the people.”