Desperate people waiting for a lift or walking on foot has become a common sight in the trouble-torn Kashmir Valley where public transport has remained suspended for the past 80 days.
There has been a virtual communications blackout in the Valley with no phones and no internet connections since the early hours of August 5.
An eerie silence prevails with concertina wire barricades laid on deserted streets and police and armed forces personnel allowing civilians to move only after thorough checking.
Using phones and computers to spread rumours, jihadis are waging a new, unconventional war.
Major General B S Raju, the head of Victor Force that performs counter-insurgency operations in five districts of south Kashmir, says a great deal of political sagacity is needed to ensure that a lasting solution to the decades-long separatist problem is found.
Investigators say the aim of the kidnapping was to scare and drive away the nomadic Gujjar and Bakarwal communities from the Hindu dominated area.
