Shutdown in Tahab against woman’s death
Nadeem Nadu
Srinagar: After three days of protests, normalcy returned in the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday as the separatists called off the two-day shutdown.
The educational institutions, public transport, shops and other businesses began functioning normally after three days of shutdown due to the killing of civilians in the Sunday by-election.
Srinagar city buzzed with life as the movement of traffic and pedestrians began on Wednesday.
Parents hurried their children to schools and they were seen waiting for buses.
Shopkeepers started lifting the shutters of their establishments as tension across the valley came down after the Election Commission postponed the Anantnag parliamentary bypoll to May 25.
The bypoll was otherwise scheduled for Wednesday.
Authorities removed additional deployment of police and paramilitary forces at traffic crossings and busy streets in Srinagar and other places.
The movement was only restricted around sensitive installations in the valley.
The separatists have asked people to resume normal activities and thanked them for staying away from bypoll in which only 7 per cent voter turnout — the lowest in the valley in the last 27 years — was recorded.
Mobile internet remained suspended for the fourth day today in the Kashmir valley, where Broadband service of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has resumed after remaining banned from April 8 and 9 midnight.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has deferred polling in Anantnag parliamentary bypoll which was scheduled to be held today following violence in Srinagar Parliamentary constituency on April 9, during which eight people died and more than 200 others, including 150 paramilitary forces, were injured.
The mobile and broadband internet service had been suspended during the intervening night of April 8 and 9 in the valley, where separatists had called for a general strike in protest against polling in Srinagar and Anantnag constituencies. Train services remained suspended in the Kashmir valley though the separatists had withdrawn ‘bandh’ call for today after the Election Commission (EC) deferred bypoll in Anantnag Parliamentary constituency following violence during polling in Srinagar seat on April 9 in which eight people died and about 100 were injured.
Train service between Srinagar and Banihal in Jammu region was this afternoon resumed after remaining suspended for three days due to security reasons. A shutdown amid clashes was observed in Tahab village of Pulwama district against the death of a woman yesterday allegedly due to suffocation caused by teargas smoke shells fired in the area.
The deceased woman identified as Shameema died after suffocating due to teargas smoke last evening, said the locals. But police said the things will be clear only after medical report is out. To protest the death, locals observed a shutdown and also clashed with forces during the day.
Meanwhile, presence of army inside Government Degree College Pulwama triggered protests today. The students of the college staged a massive protest after an army casper vehicle entered the premises of the college. On the occasion, the students also pelted the vehicle with stones.
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