The Kashmiri is divided on pact

SRINAGARl Well-known Kashmiri poet Zareef Ahmad Zareef was up in arms when the erstwhile Congress-led government in the state diverted 39.88 hectares of forestland to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. He said it was an attempt to dilute the special status of J&K. 

Two months later, Zareef is a mellowed man, thanks to the deal between the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti (SASS) and the Centre. He says the agreement is a win-win situation for Kashmir, which had strongly protested the earlier order. “I
think this order is apposite for Kashmir because propriety and ownership of the land remains unchanged. Plus, the special status of the state enshrined in the constitution under article 370 is intact,” Zareef says.

But for sporadic violence, Kashmir’s reaction to the agreement has been muted.
Experts believe it is because the media blackout is preventing information from reaching the Valley.

Though some newspapers have resumed publication, most areas are not getting copies due to curfew.

Those who have got the news and details of the agreement via SMS or internet are divided. While some are satisfied with the deal, others are calling it old wine in a new bottle.