Srinagar, Sep 2 (IANS) Uneasy quiet prevailed in the Kashmir Valley Thursday with few restrictions but a shutdown called by separatists ensuring that shops, educational institutions and businesses were shut again after the brief hours of normalcy the day before.
The bustle had returned Wednesday as authorities lifted curfew and separatists called off protests and shutdowns. Businesses resumed work and shoppers thronged markets to buy essential goods.
‘Yesterday when shops, educational institutions, transport and other routine activities of life were started, it looked for a moment that everything was well here,’ said Bashir Manzar, a newspaper editor here.
‘But, yesterday has always to be seen in the foreground of tomorrow and the day after to understand what ails the valley. The fear of tomorrow never dies in Kashmir,’ he added.
Although curfew was imposed Thursday only in south Kashmir’s Anantnag town and five police station areas in summer capital Srinagar, life across the valley remained paralysed because of the shutdown called by hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani.
‘Curfew will continue in Anantnag town and five police station areas of Srinagar today. There is no curfew or restrictions anywhere else in the valley today,’ said a senior police officer here.
He added that violence had started recording a downslide and gradually people had decided to return to normal activities of life at many places in the valley.
‘There are areas in the valley where people have started ignoring the shutdown calls and are opening up slowly to resume normal activities of life.’
Despite official claims, however, shops, educational institutions, other business establishments, banks, post offices and public transport services remained closed in Srinagar city and other towns.
A few public transport vehicles could be seen plying in Srinagar.
Continuing its Quit Kashmir campaign, the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Geelani has asked people to observe a general shutdown Thursday and resume normal activities Friday.
In the ongoing unrest that started here on June 11, 65 people in the Valley have so far lost their lives.
