A paramilitary soldier stands near barbed wire at a checkpoint during the curfew in Srinagar. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
Jammu and Kashmir Article 370 LIVE Updates: Today marks the completion of one year of the abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370. Keeping security in mind, the UT administration has imposed curfew across the Kashmir valley, which came into force since Monday late evening. The decision was taken at a core group meeting of security officials, civil administration, and intelligence agencies, which was chaired by General Officer Commanding 15 Corps B S Raju and Director General J&K Police Dilbag Singh.
A meeting of some political parties called by Jammu and Kashmir’s veteran leader Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday to discuss the situation arising out of the abrogation of Article 370 provisions a year ago could not be held due to strict restrictions imposed by authorities, his National Conference said.
Even as the security has been stepped up, a sarpanch associated with the BJP was critically injured in a militant attack in Kulgam district on Tuesday. Two policemen were injured in a separate attack in Pulwama.
Srinagar and other districts of Valley have imposed strict restrictions till the end of the day on August 5. However, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, medical emergencies and movement of staff with valid cards and passes issued by the administration have been exempted from the restrictions.
Barricades have been set up at hundreds of places in Kashmir, including Srinagar city, to regulate movement of essential services and emergencies while concertina wires have been also been laid. (File)
A meeting called by former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah at his residence on Wednesday could not be held due to strict restrictions put in place by the Union Territory’s administration, his son and former CM Omar Abdulla said on Twitter.
The meeting of mainstream political leaders was planned to discuss the situation arising out of the abrogation of Article 370 provisions in 2019 and to chalk out a joint political strategy for the restoration of the special status through democratic means.
Omar Abdullah, who is the vice president of the NC, questioned how the BJP gets to celebrate the first anniversary of the abrogation while Kashmir leaders can’t meet in his father’s lawn.
Meanwhile, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti said that “prolonged enforced silence” would not “suppress” the emotions of the people of Kashmir forever. “A year ago we witnessed how a majoritarian govt mutilated & robbed J&K in broad daylight.Seasons may have changed but the betrayal will never be forgiven or forgotten. Prolonged enforced silence won't suppress emotions forever,” Iltija posted on her mother’s Twitter handle which she has been using since Mehbooba was taken into custody in August last year.
Former chief minister and Abdullah's son Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to say that the authorities in Kashmir did not allow the meeting to take place. Omar Abdullah, who is the vice president of the NC, said the Gupkar Road -- leading to his residence and that of his father -- was sealed by the authorities.
"One year on, this is Gupkar road today - police vehicles opposite our gates, concertina wire strung across the road at regular intervals and no vehicles allowed. My father had called a meeting of leaders of MAINSTREAM parties to deliberate on the current situation," Omar Abdullah said on Twitter, along with two pictures of the deserted road.
Srinagar's Lal chowk during the shutdown in Srinagar on the first anniversary of the abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Srinagar celebrate the abrogation of Article 370 and the division of Jammu and Kashmir into union territories on the first anniversary of August 5, 2019 decision last year.
Meeting of some parties called by Jammu and Kashmir's veteran leader Farooq Abdullah to discuss the situation arising out of abrogation of Article 370 provisions a year ago not held due to strict restrictions imposed by authorities, says National Conference.
BJP's Kashmir unit celebrates first anniversary of revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir, accuses those protesting constitutional changes of being "sympathisers of ISIS"
Transformation underway in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on first anniversary of Centre's decision to revoke special status of the region.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration will focus on strengthening and empowering panchayati raj institutions in the coming days to address issues of misgovernance and corruption, Lieutenant Governor Girish Chander Murmu has said. Effective implementation of the three-tier panchayati raj system will help "mainstreaming of the public participation" in the decision-making process and development of the Union Territory, he said.
"The implementation of panchayati raj system is our biggest target now. We are going to do it. It is our mission. Empowering this setup is our biggest dream. We will ensure its implementation," Murmu told PTI. He said three-tier panchayati raj institutions -- district chairpersons, block chairpersons and village-level panch and sarpanch -- have the potential to create a "new political power-cum-governance structure".
Curfew-like restrictions, mainly to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, remained enforced in Kashmir on Wednesday as the union territory marks the first anniversary of revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Police and CRPF personnel were deployed in strength across the valley, especially Srinagar city, to ensure that the plans of separatists to disturb peace do not succeed, officials said.
The proposed meeting would have been the first assembly of mainstream political leaders since August 5 last year, when the central government abrogated J&K’s special status and split the state into two Union territories.
On August 4 last year, the mainstream leaders had assembled at Abdullah’s residence and vowed to “stand united in their struggle for safeguarding identity, autonomy and special status of the state”.
But some political leaders questioned the timing of the meeting. “Farooq sahib knows that the government would not allow this meeting on August 5. I fail to understand why he chose this date for the meeting,” said a senior mainstream leader said. “He should have called the meeting after a few days so that the leaders could have attended without any issue”.
Sources said Abdullah has called senior leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Conference, Congress and some smaller parties.
“Yes, we have received an invite from Farooq sahib,” said PDP leader Waheed Parra. “Since Mehboobaji is under detention, we have asked Fayaz (Ahmad Mir) Sahib (Rajya Sabha member) to attend the meeting, but we are not sure if the meeting will be allowed by the government.”
The Peoples Conference spokesperson, Adnan Ashraf, also confirmed that party chief Sajad Lone had received an invite. “Sajad sahib has already been told by the government that he can’t move out of his house till August 6,” Ashraf said. “If allowed, he would definitely attend the meeting.”
Former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has called a meeting of mainstream political leaders at his residence on Wednesday. The meeting, however, is unlikely to happen as most of the political leaders are still under house detention.
Moreover, while the administration has lifted the curfew that was imposed on Monday, restrictions on “movement of more than three persons” remain in place. Additionally, there is “complete lockdown” in containment zones.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Abdullah confirmed that he had “planned a meeting tomorrow”. “But you see, they have already stationed (security) vehicles outside our houses, they have closed it (entry). Is this the government,” he said.
In a separate attack, militants lobbed a grenade on Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel in Wanpora village of Pulwama district. Police sources said two policemen were injured in the attack.
“Both the policemen received splinter injuries. They were immediately evacuated and are stable,” said a police officer. The injured policemen have been identified as Head Constable Khurshid Ahmad and Special Police Officer (SPO) Ishfaq Ahmad.
EVEN AS security has been stepped up on the eve of the first anniversary of the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370, a sarpanch was critically injured in a militant attack in Kulgam district on Tuesday. Two policemen were injured in a separate attack in Pulwama. According to police, militants barged into the house of sarpanch Arif Ahmad, in Akhran village of Kulgam district, on Tuesday evening and opened fire from close range. “He has a bullet in the chest… His condition remains critical,” said Dr Mohammad Iqbal, Medical Superintendent of the Government Medical College in Anantnag where Ahmad has been admitted.
BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur confirmed to The Indian Express that Ahmad was associated with his party and condemned the “barbaric attack”. Since the panchayat elections in December 2018, two sarpanchs have been killed in militant attacks in South Kashmir.
On the eve of the first anniversary of the revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir, political parties in the Union territory said they would fight the changes made to the erstwhile state on August 5 last year.
The National Conference said that August 5 “is the darkest patch in the history of J&K marking the forcible, illegal and unconstitutional infringement of the rights of its people saying the party will fight the battle for the restoration of people’s rights peacefully and legally”. PDP’s Suhail Bukhari said that August 5 is a reminder of “a constitutional fraud” perpetrated on the people of J&K. Read more
CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Tuesday said all the promises made by the Centre at the time of abrogating article 370 last year proved to be a mirage.
"It has been a year since BJP government scrapped J&K's special status under Article 370, 35A demoted the erstwhile state into two Union Territories. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah justified the decision on the floor of the house, that it would end decades-long militancy, separatism and corruption in the region and bring development, jobs and prosperity," Tarigami said in a statement on the eve of first anniversary of revocation of Article 370
"However, one year down the line, promises proved to be a mirage and the claims a hoax. None of the aforementioned claims pass the test of reality," he said. The CPI(M) leader questioned the use of acts like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA) if the security scenario had improved in Jammu and Kashmir.
"If violence has really come down and the security scenario has improved, then why does the administration resort to a muscular approach of silencing the voices of the population by arbitrarily booking its people and detaining youth under draconian laws like UAPA, PSA," he asked. (PTI)
The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference Tuesday said the Union government's decision to revoke special status of the erstwhile state was not acceptable to the masses. Ahead of the first anniversary of the revocation of provisions of article 370 on August 5 last year, the party said the day would be remembered as a "sad day".
"Decisions taken on and after August 5 (2019) are not acceptable to people. These decisions have been thrust on the people of Kashmir and are bereft of any acceptance or legitimacy amongst the masses," the party said in a statement.
"We believe, for us, August 5, 2019 is a negative milestone. This will be remembered as a sad day, a day of disempowerment, a day of attack on our identity," the party said. (PTI)