Eid al-Adha shoppers thronged the markets in Srinagar to make purchases for the festival which is expected to be celebrated with a lot of fervour across Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, now that the atmosphere in the state has settled to calm after months of turmoil, reports Mukhtar Ahmad.
A curfew was imposed on Monday morning across Kashmir valley in the wake of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in Tihar Jail.
'There's a lot of sense in what Prime Minister Modi did, but the Indian government has to be really prepared for a really sharp escalation spiral.'
'Everyone knows Pakistan is doing it.' 'But what are we doing? We should not incite more violence.'
Pakistan military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told a hurriedly called press conference in Islamabad at around 4 am that th Pakistan air force's Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district) airbases were targeted.
'The Kashmiri identity and its unique blend of Sufi Islam, its culture and language can best survive in a plural and secular India.' 'Neither independence nor merger with Pakistan can achieve that objective.' 'Peace will return to Kashmir only when Kashmiris realise this, else they will be part of the 1,000- year war,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
The Centre had earlier ordered deployment of about 10,000 central forces personnel to Kashmir in order to strengthen counter-insurgency operations and law and order duties.
Cold wave conditions continued unabated in Kashmir Valley owing to the dry weather even as the weatherman predicted some respite next week with the possibility of isolated rains or snowfall.
There is a limit to ignoring genuine aspirations of the people and suppressing their legitimate voice in running the affairs of the state, notes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
High velocity winds sweeping the Kashmir Valley since Monday evening caused widespread property damages triggering panic among the residents.
The first phase of the polls in the Kashmir Valley saw 8.3 per cent turnout on October 8 while only 3.4 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the second phase held two days later.
The concern of the Congress leadership over the situation could be gauged from the fact that Chidambaram was specially called to the meeting despite not being a CWC member.
High velocity winds sweeping the Kashmir Valley since Monday evening caused widespread property damages triggering panic among the residents.
A curfew was imposed on Monday morning across Kashmir valley in the wake of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in Tihar Jail. Police and paramilitary troops have been deployed across Kashmir to maintain law and order.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, the first elected government in the Union Territory since 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated.
There has been a virtual communications blackout in the Valley with no phones and no internet connections since the early hours of August 5.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called for de-escalation between India and Pakistan, expressing deep concern over rising tensions following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Guterres reiterated his condemnation of the attack and urged both sides to avoid a confrontation, which he described as catastrophic. The Secretary-General has also offered his good offices to support de-escalation efforts. The President of the UN General Assembly, Philemon Yang, has also expressed concern over the escalating violence and called for a resolution through diplomatic means. Meanwhile, Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack and reiterated its commitment to fighting terrorism.
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Monday expressing shock and anguish over the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and resolved to fight resolutely to defeat the nefarious designs to disturb communal harmony and hinder progress.
However, there is no restriction on the movement of people anywhere in the valley, the officials said.
National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Friday challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party to contest Lok Sabha polls in the Kashmir Valley, saying he will quit politics if the national party's candidates do not lose their security deposits.
The bone-chilling cold returned as the night temperature plunged below the freezing point across Kashmir division after a brief respite owing to the rains in plains and snowfall in high altitude areas early this week.
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases from September 18 while Haryana will go to polls in a single phase on October 1, the Election Commission announced on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have expressed his 'unhappiness' over the media coverage on violent protests in Kashmir Valley following killing of Burhan Wani saying the Hizbul Mujahideen militant has been portrayed as a "hero".
The services were stopped last evening as a precautionary measure.
After a joint meeting of the media bodies, a resolution was passed which said that they condemn the arrest and intimidation of media persons in the Kashmir Valley.
It was a sweet homecoming of sorts for Sanjay Dutt when he visited Kashmir to shoot his Tamil film, Leo.
Real Kashmir FC face defending champions Chennai City FC in their first I-League home match of the season on Thursday in the first big sporting event in the Kashmir Valley since it became a union territory. The abrogation of Article 370 and the ensuing lockdown in the valley in August had raised security concerns, but Real Kashmir have made elaborate arrangements since then, allaying the fears of the visiting teams.
The Chinese see no need to fight directly. They have an able and willing proxy in Pakistan, points out Shekhar Gupta.
North India is shivering under an intense cold wave as temperatures plummet across the region.
Schools, shops, business establishments, private offices and banks remained closed in most pasts of the Valley due to the strike, officials said.
Curfew was on Friday lifted from Anantnag after four days even as life returned to normal in the Kashmir Valley after hardline Hurriyat Conference suspended protests for the day, the last Friday of Ramzan.
The separatists, under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership, on Tuesday called for a strike for Thursday against the killing of Shujaat Bukhari and also civilians allegedly in security forces firing.
Pak had realised in 2018 that Hurriyat Conference, the separatist conglomerate created by Inter-Services Intelligence, won't be able to deliver any more
Rediff.com's Jammu and Kashmir correspondent Mukhtar Shah takes a real close look at the young protestors of the Valley, their struggles and the challenges they pose.
'No words can heal the wounds of a mother who lost her child, or a friend who lost their companion. But we must speak, we must feel, and we must remember.'
A strict curfew blanket spread across Kashmir valley ensured a peaceful Friday and stymied the call for a march to the Eidgah ground in Srinagar to attend a rally against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru at Tihar Jail in Delhi last Saturday.
For over two months the Kashmir valley has simmered with discontent against the government as youth have thronged the streets demanding azaadi. Some human images from the conflict zone.
Three earthquakes on Monday shook Kashmir within an hour but there were no reports of any damage caused anywhere in the valley.
Jammu and Kashmir is facing a severe water crisis this year due to a massive rainfall deficit. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed concern about the situation and called for a proactive approach towards water management and conservation. The state has witnessed an 80% deficit in rainfall this year, raising the possibility of drought in the valley this summer. Several water bodies are flowing below the zero level mark, and some springs in south Kashmir have dried up completely. The water level in Jhelum and other major streams is alarmingly low.
