Kashmir still in lockdown, bar on media
Indefinite curfew imposed on Saturday in almost all major Valley cities and towns following Afzal Guru’s execution Saturday continued uninterrupted Sunday with thousands of policemen and CRPF jawans in battle gear out on the streets to enforce restrictions.
Residential areas stayed sealed as the security forces laid concentra wires and put “bunker vehicles” or armoured cars criss-crossing the roads.
The state authorities, after curtailing Internet access and debarring cable TV operators from beaming Indian and international news channels across the Kashmir Valley, on Sunday told local newspapers to suspend publication for three days. On Sunday, copies of half a dozen Urdu and English newspapers were seized as they were being transported out of their printing presses.
The blackout is part of the government’s effort to keep people in the dark about developments that followed the execution of Afzal Guru, convicted for his role in the 2001 terror attack on the Indian Parliament, in Delhi’s Tihar Jail on Saturday and also to stop them from using social networking sites to voice anger or publishing hate comments.
The Sumbal area of northern Ganderbal district erupted Sunday evening after a local youth died after drowning in the Jhelum river while allegedly being chased by the security forces.
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