Normal life disrupted in Kashmir

Normal life went out of gear in Kashmir Valley on Sunday in response to a shutdown call by separatists to commemorate the second death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani who was killed in 2016 along-with two associates in an encounter in south Kashmir. The authorities imposed restrictions in sensitive areas of the Valley even Tral Sub-Division in south Kashmir, the birthplace of Wani was declared out of bounds for the people. The separatists had called for a massive congregation at Wani’s grave but the security forces sealed off all routes leading to the graveyard since Saturday morning.

The authorities had inputs that militants would organise recruitment of youngsters into their ranks on the occasion. The Hizbul Mujahideen, however, released pictures of a dozen new recruits including that of Shamsul Haq Mengnoo, who was pursuing a course in Unani medicine and his elder brother is in The Indian Police Service. Mengnoo went missing in May and was suspected to have joined the militant ranks.

The shutdown was more effective in the wake of killing of three youngsters in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday. The youngsters including a 16-year girl were killed in Army firing when they protested in Hawoowra, Redwani village against army’s raids. Governor NN Vohra expressed deep anguish over the killings and summoned a high-level security meeting on Saturday evening. Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh was called from Udhampur to attend the meeting that emphasised on adherence of Standard Operating Procedures (SPO). 

The day of shutdown passed off by and large peacefully without any report of violence from any part of the Valley. However, reports of clashes were received from Nowdal village of Tral where youths tried to march towards Burhan Wani’s residence.

The authorities imposed strict restrictions across the Valley to thwart any rally announced by the separatist leadership. Heavy deployment of security forces had been made in all the sensitive areas in Srinagar, south Kashmir region to maintain law and order.

The security agencies suspected congregation of a l;arge number of people on  Burhan’s anniversary at Eidgah Graveyard in Tral. They had inputs about militant show off including on spot recruitment of youths into militant ranks. Of late, there has been increasing trend among youngsters to join militant ranks that remains worrisome for the authorities. The recruitments have been recorded for Hizb, Lashkar-e-Tayyeba and Jaish-e-Muhammad outfits. The new recruits equip themselves by rifles snatched from police and security forces personnel. The incidents of rifle snatching have increased manifold in valley during the past two years since new age militancy received a flip in the follow up of Wani’s killing that triggered a massive public uprising.

Senior separatist leaders, Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq continued to be under house arrest. Yasin Malik was taken into preventive custody on Saturday and lodged in local police station. Authorities have also taken second and middle rung separatist leaders and prominent activists into preventive custody.

The mobile Internet services remained suspended throughout the Valley while the speed of fixed line broadband connections has been reduced.

The train services remained suspended for the second consecutive day from Banihal in Jammu region upto Baramulla in north Kashmir.