Amid a continuing curfew and media lockdown, the Kashmir Valley on Monday stayed calm barring a few stray incidents of stone throwing at security forces as India squarely blamed Pakistan for the unrest that has claimed over 40 lives in the past over 10 days.
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Meanwhile, former MEA minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who was accompanied by AICC General Secretary Ambika Soni for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation here following directions from the party president Sonia Gandhi said that it was unfortunate to hear about young people losing their vision due to pellets.
Closure of the strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for over a week has caused shortage of essential items in the Valley.
Kashmir is the most densely militarized region of the world, and the recent protests erupted July 9th after Indian troops killed Burhan Wani, the commander of Hizbul Mujahedeen, a Kashmiri rebel group resisting Indian rule in the region. However, people defying curfew came out of their houses in Pothkhah, Dangiwacha in Sopore, Hatmulla in Kupwara and Langate in Handwara and staged anti-India protests. At Hatmulla, protesters attacked the Hatmulla Police Post.
“By gagging the local press, you (government) are blocking your own channels of communication”.
On the other hand, APHC leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik appealed to the people to remain steadfast with patience, unity and discipline and do not pay any heed to rumours aimed at harming the ongoing resistance movement. In the portion controlled by India, opposition to India is strong, with many expressing support for the rebels fighting for independence, or a merger with neighboring Pakistan.
As a result of the crackdown, most Srinagar-based newspapers couldn’t go to print and copies of those who had printed their editions were seized at midnight and early morning raids on their printing presses, the publishers said.
Cable TV networks across Kashmir remain shut.
Jammu and Kashmir Police had allegedly raided the offices of at least two newspaper printing presses in Rangreth Industrial Estate in the outskirts of the city here barring them from printing the newspapers.
“We were not handed over any order under which the printing and circulation of our newspapers were stopped”, Mukhdoomi said.
The police seized copies of various newspapers besides other printing material and printing plates.
A story on GK website reads, “Cops misbehaved with the employees present there and snatched their cell phones”.
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The participants termed it as an attack on the freedom of press and vowed to fight it back at all costs.
