After a day’s respite from curfews and strikes, Kashmir was again closed on Monday, the first day of a new week-long calendar of shutdowns and protests issued by separatists.
The government responded by re-imposing curfew in Srinagar and some other towns of the restive Valley and the presence of policemen and paramilitary personnel in riot-gear in streets was high.
Tensions heightened following the death of 22-year-old local youth Fida Nabi, injured in the police firing last week. With his death the toll in police firings and beating since July 30 rose to 33 and in two months to 51. However, the day passed off peacefully.
Apart from Srinagar areas, curfew was re-imposed or curfew-like restrictions were being enforced by the security forces in the towns of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Kaka Pora in south of the Valley and Baramulla in the northwest. However, no such restrictions were in place elsewhere although the people obeyed Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference’s strike call by once again suspending work. In Baramulla, the police burst teargas canisters and also fired rubber-bullets to quell rock-throwing protesters injuring half-a-dozen of them, reports said.
The police has, meanwhile, arrested Mr Geelani’s aide Ghulam Nabi Sumji in a raid on a house in the uptown Srinagar residential area Sanat Nagar and removed him to a nearby police camp. Mr Sumji, who had been evading arrest, acted as chairman of the Hurriyat Conference during Mr Geelani’s five-week detention under state’s tough law Public Safety Act (PSA) issuing strike and protest diktats to the people along with Massarat Aalam and Sayeda Aasiya Andrabi.
The octogenarian leader took the command directly after his release last week.