A day of life

At last a day of life in Kashmir

Srinagar, July 25:

After weeks of crippling strikes and official restrictions, life was full of buzz in entire Kashmir Valley barring northern Sopore town on Sunday.

All the markets in this summer capital particularly Lal Chowk—the nerve centre, Batmaloo, Qamarwari and Nowhatta were swarmed by thousands of people, giving the cash starved vendors some joy.

Ration depots and provisional shops were in huge demand along with ATMs as people made beeline outside the ventures.

Despite being Sunday—a holiday in normal circumstances, all shops and other business establishments including commercial banks opened after about eighteen days of continuous unrest in the Valley. Most of private-run schools, Kashmir University and colleges open in Srinagar, the summer capital of state, and elsewhere to offer some succor to the students who along with other family members remained cooped in homes almost since June 11, when a 17-year-old boy, Tufail Ahmad Mattoo was killed allegedly due police teargas shell.

The spate of killings—seventeen between 11 June and 19 July, allegedly at the hands of security forces and police brought normal life in the valley to a halt, leaving state coalition government with no option but to impose curfew or restrictions in Srinagar and other major towns as separatists continue to call for shutdowns.

The reopening came after the separatist amalgam led by Hurriyat leader syed Ali shah Geelani call for “relaxation” for a day today in the strike and asked people to stock-up essential. The separatists have already called for fresh protest and shutdowns in next week barring Tuesday and the ensuing Saturday.

As hundreds of vehicles, both public and private, returned life to the city roads, it simultaneous brought about massive traffic jams. The most severe congestion occurred in Dalgate area, the main entry to capital city Lal Chowk. Although heavy traffic is not uncommon, the traffic cops were caught unawares. There were long queues of vehicles near Zero Bridge on one-side while traffic was standstill till Khayam— leading towards old city, on other side. Similar traffic grid lock was witnessed towards Sonawar till Mehjoor Chowk, previously Panth Chowk. Reports of traffic snarls were also received from Jahangir Chowk and Karananagar towards southern part of the city and Moulana Azad road, another busy street in the commercial hub of the summer capital.

While as life was full of life in the valley, Sopore town in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district witnessed another day of stone-pelting incidents.

Official sources said that as the shopkeepers began to open there venture in the apple town, dozens of stone-pelting youth enforced a shutdown. Even though police reached the spot immediately, they find themselves to battle stones for yet another day. Minor stone-pelting clashes were also reported from Bandipora and Pattan also.

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