subject: Separatist call cripples life in Indian Kashmir [print this page] Separatist call cripples life in Indian Kashmir
Separatist call cripples life in Indian Kashmir
Nazir Bakhtawar
Agence India Press
November 27, 2010
Srinagar: Life in Indian Kashmir was today affected due to a strike called by hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference to protest arrest of youths and alleged atrocities committed by forces.
Almost all shops, business establishments and private offices in commercial hubs of Lal Chowk and Batamaloo in summer capital remained closed due to the strike called by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
However, the main markets in uptown and Old City areas remained closed and light traffic was seen on the roads there.
Schools and government offices remained open, while skeletal public transport services were available in the city. Private vehicles plied on all routes.
Reports of mixed response to the strike call were also received from other district headquarters and major towns of the Valley, official sources told Agence India Press .
A partial shutdown was observed in Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara, Shopian, Anantnag and Pulwama districts, they said.
A police spokesman said law and order situation was peaceful and no untoward incident was reported till late afternoon from anywhere in the Valley.
Meanwhile the shutdown call did not evoke much response and educational institutions, banks, post offices and government offices were open in Srinagar while private and even some public transport plied normally.
Reports from other towns of the valley also indicated that life was partially affected there.
In his latest weekly protest calendar issued Friday evening, Geelani has called for just one day of a protest shutdown Dec 4. This is a significant departure from the earlier protest calendars issued by Geelani in which just a day or two would be marked for normalcy.
Since June 11 this year, the separatists have been spearheading protests and shutdowns and 110 people have lost their lives in clashes between protesters and Indian forces. Kashmir Valley has been in a grip of violent protests since June 11. In his latest protest calendar, the octogenarian leader has called for hour-long protests on November 30 and December 3. (AIP)
Copyright 2010 AIPTV. All rights reserved.http://agenceindiapress.com
