Article 370: Cheerless Eid in Jammu and Kashmir, lockdown continues

In what is seen as an imposition of peace by force, though Valley observed “peaceful” Eid on Monday, celebration lacked “festive cheers” , claimed media reports. According to a report published in the Indian Express, security forces prevented people from gathering in Eidgah and the Jama Masjid.

Although prohibitory orders were relaxed for a few hours to allow people to offer prayers but lockdown continued, claims the report.“People took to the street after Eid prayers to protest abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status,” says the report. As per the report, celebration remained dull not only in Valley but in Jammu also.

According to Kashmir Times - the oldest English daily published from the Valley; the ATMs, banks and a few markets remained opened, but the joy  was missing.“The usual hustle and bustle of the festival was missing in the Valley where normal life has been paralysed following heavy security deployment, restrictions on movement and curtailing of communication links after the abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5,” reads the report.

The Hindu reported that the main mosques in Srinagar remained out of bounds. In some areas stone-pelting was reported, according to the newspaper. It further adds, “Valley remained under a lockdown on the occasion of Eid on Monday as severe restrictions on the movement of people and traffic continued.”

As per The Hindu, hundreds of people shouted anti-India slogans in the neighborhood of Soura.  Inspector General of Police S.P. Pani said that the festivities passed off peacefully barring a “couple of minor localised incidents of law and order which have been handled very professionally.” “In these incidents, there have been a couple of injuries which have been reported. Otherwise the entire Valley situation is peaceful. I strongly deny any incident of firing anywhere in the Kashmir Valley,” Pani said at a press conference in Srinagar.