It’s a tranquillity that’s terribly misleading. For beneath the tranquillity and silence on the streets imposed by an unending cycle of curfew lurks the turmoil. A turmoil that has been rocking the Kashmir Valley ever since 17-year-old Tufail Mattoo died after he was hit by a teargas shell while returning from tuition in Srinagar on June 11.
So ever so often, the curfew sits like shroud not only here, the state capital, but also various other parts of the Valley that have been rocked by strife in the last three months. The shroud is occasionally lifted by the local administration, only to be hastily returned to its place as stone-pelting youngsters vent their anger and frustration at the security agencies.
On Sunday, Srinagar began its umpteenth tryst with the curfew. So but for a few cars that carried curfew-bearing passengers and stray dogs that engaged in vicious fights, the city wore the appearance of a ghost town as security personnel dotted its roads and streets.
The residents though were taken by surprise at the government’s decision to impose curfew. After all, Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani who has issued a strike calendar — the state government responds to this by clamping curfew — had not given any strike call for Sunday.
As Arshad, a taxi driver ferrying this reporter around the deserted streets of Srinagar said, “Geelani saab had not given any call for a strike. They had relaxed curfew yesterday but have reimposed it.”
Which means that he flashes his curfew pass often as the security personnel standing at various check points and is willing to show it even when one J&K policeman is waving him on.
Mr Geelani himself sits under house arrest as does moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. A few J&K policemen are posted outside their house who zealously prevent any visitors access and direct all them to speak to the area SP instead. The SP, not unexpectedly, passes on the buck to the IG who in turn passes it back to the area SP for access to these two leaders.