Unrest loses intensity as it enters 6th month

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 7

As unrest in the Kashmir valley moves into the sixth month on Thursday, it is increasingly losing intensity as life appears to be returning to the pre-July 8 routine.

The unrest, sparked by the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8, will enter its sixth month tomorrow. However, the intensity of the unrest has significantly reduced in recent weeks.

The widespread protests and demonstrations – which fuelled the unrest in its initial months – have now ended following the arrest of nearly 8,000 protesters and separatist activists in a massive crackdown by the police. The number of protests in the region has come down to minimal during the recent weeks from the high of 201 incidents registered on the second day of the unrest on July 9.

The latest protest in the region took place today in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district where a separatist rally was held in the Murran area, leading to clashes between demonstrators and policemen.

During the unrest, more than 80 civilians were killed and several thousand injured, some of them blinded by pellets, as the security forces attempted to quell the most widespread spell of protests in recent years.

The shutdown, called by a loose coalition of separatist leaders and the only remaining sign of the unrest, is having a partial impact and is mostly limited to the main markets.

The public transport is back to business and operational in all districts of the region. The government offices and private businesses have also resumed work with little impact from the shutdown called by the separatists.

The state government machinery, which remained paralysed during the initial months of the unrest, is also making a quick comeback. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti presided over several functions in the city yesterday and also toured several districts this week, which was almost impossibleduring the initial phase of the unrest.

The separatist leaders, who have been steering the unrest by issuing week-long protest and shutdown calendars, have also hinted at a significant scale down. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, one of the three key separatist leaders involved in issuing the calendars, had last week said that the separatists were preparing a “long-term (protest) programme” which will not stall the functioning of trade and schools.

In a statement, issued jointly by Syed Ali Geelani, Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz yesterday, the separatist trio had asked tourists and pilgrims to visit the region and enjoy its beauty. The appeal was a desperate attempt by the separatists to help restore the broken economic structure of the region.

Separatists extend work days to three 

Srinagar: The separatist leaders issued the latest weekly protest calendar extending the relaxation in shutdown to three days. This will be the first time since the unrest began on July 8 that the Valley will have three work days in a week, beginning Friday. The separatists have called for relaxation on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. In their joint statement, the separatist leaders said the full-day relaxation in shutdown on Monday was due to the commemoration of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. During the next seven days, the separatists have also announced evening relaxation on Wednesday and Thursday and shutdown on Friday and Tuesday. TNS