Curfew dampens festivities in Valley

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 14

On Tuesday, Fatima (8) was looking forward to meeting her uncle at her home in old Srinagar city and receiving ‘Eidi’ (Eid gift) from him. She was wondering why he hadn’t even called them, little knowing the Valley was under curfew and mobile phones had been blocked.

When children in other parts of the country were celebrating Eid-ul-Azha, in Kashmir people remained under curfew.

Parents said their children asked them questions like why they were not able to go out? Why were the shops closed? Why had their relatives not visited them with gifts?

“I want to go out with my friends but my mother has told me to stay at home. I did not enjoy this Eid as I did not get any Eidi,” says Fatima.

Aroosh, 9, also a resident of Srinagar, has no smile on her face as her parents could not buy her new clothes this Eid due to continuous shutdown and restrictions for the past 68 days.

“I am wearing the same clothes that I wore last Eid. We are not able to go anywhere, there is curfew. So we are just playing inside our house. We were not even able to buy ice cream and chocolates as the shops are closed,” says Aroosh from the Nawa Kadal area of Srinagar.

The public parks across the summer capital are deserted. There is no hustle and bustle and no children in colourful clothes running around.

The ceremonial sacrifice of goats was also done silently this time and as people could not distribute the meat among relatives.

“I am married in Srinagar and my parents live in Baramulla. Neither I have been able to wish them not go there to give them meat. This festival there is no joy as we don’t know about the well-being of our near and dear ones,” said Rubeena Nasir.

Separatists had called for an ‘austere Eid’ to mourn the death of civilians in protests since July 9 following killing of militant commander Burhan Wani.