Rakib Altaf
SRINAGAR: Life in Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar remains disrupted even as things returned to normal elsewhere in the valley after three days of shutdown and curfew.
A young man Altaf Ahmed Wani was shot dead by CRPF at Saidapora area on Wednesday, when a shutdown was being observed to demand the return of Afzal Guru’s body. Wani’s killing happened just hours after 5 CRPF soldiers died during a militant attack at Bemina.
Separatist leaders called for a shutdown to protest against the killing on Thursday and authorities imposed a strict curfew to prevent violent anti-India demonstrations. The curfew continued till Friday.
But this morning, as life resumed to normal elsewhere, many shops remained closed even in and around Lalchowk – the main business centre of the valley. A curfew continues to be in force in at least seven police station areas, mostly in old quarters of the city, and residents of these areas who run businesses elsewhere could not make it for work.
Traffic plied normally though.
But educational activities were disrupted as many private schools in the uptown city are closed.
Also, witnesses said police vans made rounds in campuses of the University of Kashmir at Hazratbal and the SP College in uptown Srinagar. A teacher, wishing not to be named, said he saw four students of SP college being taken away by the police.
The Mutahida Majlis e Mashawarat or a joint advisory council of separatist parties had asked male students of colleges and universities to hold demonstrations as part of their protest schedule to demand the return of Afzal Guru’s body.
But even school students either chose to stay away or were forced to do so by many government schools.
An eyewitness at one of the most prominent government boys schools in Srinagar told freepresskashmir.com that he saw the school staff turning away students in the morning fearing protests.
India’s Home Minister recently outrightly rejected the possibility of Guru’s body being sent to Kashmir for burial. But separatist have said they will continue their protest until Guru’s mortal remains were handed over his family.
Also Read: Life Disrupted Since Guru’s Hanging.
