Protesting separatists take a day off, but curfew continues in parts of Kashmir
Hurriyat Conference, People’s Democratic Party cry oppression, call it an attempt to sabotage all-party initiative.
A day before an all-party delegation arrives here on ‘Mission Kashmir’, the embattled Omar Abdullah government decided on Sunday to take on separatists and disrupt their ‘Quit Kashmir’ calendar which has brought the Valley to a standstill for almost three months now.
For the first time since the calendar was announced, the government imposed curfew on a day (Sunday) separatists asked people to resume normal life. “The situation is under control, no untoward incident has been reported since last (Saturday) night. Both Srinagar-Jammu and Srinagar-Uri highways are open. Curfew continues in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley,” a police spokesman said.
Earlier, the government was literally following separatists’ plan, imposing curfew on hartal days and relaxing it on days hardliners would ask people to buy and store essentials for future protests.
“We announced relaxation on Sunday and people were told to resume normal routine. But New Delhi is trying to punish Kashmiris and force them into subjugation. They are, however, living in fool’s paradise,” Ayaz Akbar, a spokesman for the Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference said.
The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) alleged the curfew ahead of the all-party delegation’s visit was aimed at sabotaging ‘Mission Kashmir’.
“Imposing curfew on a day when there was no strike call is part of the government strategy to further stifle the voice of a people reeling from most atrocious excesses. The enforcement of the 72-hour curfew through inhuman methods is nothing but an attempt to keep political leaders of the country in the dark,” party president Mehbooba Mufti said.
The PDP chief also threatened to reconsider her decision to be a part of the initiative by the central government if repressive measures continued.
The government’s reaction was swift. “Only two days ago, PDP attended an all-party meet in Delhi. Everybody is witness that PDP has again taken a U-turn for petty interests,” law and parliamentary affairs minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said.