Conflict
‘Kashmir is worse than 1846’: All the latest updates
UPDATE (20:30 PM)
Protest erupts in some parts of Kashmir (BBC Hindi shares some visuals).
“I have just come to Delhi from Srinagar. It is worst than 1846. Srinagar is a city of soldiers and spools of concertina wire. Yesterday, it took me three hours to reach office (Residency Road) from Parraypora,” said Muzammal Jaleel, the deputy editor of the Indian Express in a Facebook post.
The Indian government revoked the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir on Monday amidst complete shutdown of all kind of telecommunication.
In the same Facebook post, Jameel added that phones, landlines – all have been disconnected. “There is no money in ATMs. A very strict curfew has been imposed across Kashmir. I could only move around with lot of difficulty in uptown Srinagar. I have no information outside that small part of the city. However, I did hear there have been protests in old town Baramulla.”
Protester dies, over 100 arrested
A protester died after being chased by police and more than 100 people were arrested during a curfew in Kashmir’s main city after the restive region’s autonomy was scrapped by India, officials told AFP news agency. Another source told AFP that at least six people have been admitted to hospital in Srinagar with gunshot wounds and other injuries from protests.
‘Air tickets are being allowed as curfew passes’
Shah Faesal, president of J &K Peoples Movement party posted a few updates on his Facebook.
Here is another one he posted 11 hours ago.
Kashmir is experiencing an unprecedented lock-down. From Zero Bridge to Airport some movement of vehicles is visible. Other places are completely out of bounds. Except for patients or those with a curfew pass. It was not possible to reach Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Sajad Lone or send a message to them.
In other Districts curfew is all the more strict. You can say that the entire 8 million population has been incarcerated like never before. As of now there is no shortage of food and essentials.
My sources in Administration told me that Sat Phones given to officers are being used to coordinate the civil supplies. No other means of communication is available.
Those with Dish TV have access to news. Cable services are down. Many people still have a bleak idea of what happened. Radio was working till a few hours ago. Most people are watching DD.
National media is also not being allowed to move into interior areas.
LD hospital is functioning beyond its capacity as expecting women are getting admitted days in advance to avoid any last moment hassels. Some people are planning to run langars there.
No violent incident has been officially reported so far. Random incidents of stone throwing were reported from Rambagh, Natipora, Downtown, Kulgam, Anantnag. But no news of any killings.
People are in shock. Numb. Yet to make sense of what befell them. Everyone is mourning what we lost.
In my conversations with people besides 370, it’s the loss of statehood that has hurt people deeply. This is being seen as the biggest betrayal by the Indian state in last 70 years.
Few leaders who have escaped detention called for calm through TV channels. It is being said that the government is ready for a casualty figure of 8 – 10 thousand. So sanity demands that we don’t give anyone a chance for mass massacre.
My appeal has also been that let’s stay alive, then we shall fight back.
The body language of forces personnel manning the nakas is extremely harsh. JKP is totally sidelined. One guy told an acquaintance of mine that now we are going to show your place to you.
Such stories of locals being bullied have reached me from many places. But its extremely heartening that Kashmiris are staying calm.
‘There is no medicine’
A local told Free Press Kashmir that he has been seeking medical help but he just can’t go anywhere. “The entire valley is shut, there is no petrol left in my vehicle, the trucks carrying petrol for pump stations are being stopped from entering Srinagar,” he added.
UN ‘deeply concerned’ over Kashmir curfew
The United Nations has expressed concern over the massive security lockdown, telecommunication restrictions and the arbitrary detention of political leaders in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“What we are witnessing now in Indian-administered Kashmir takes what was already a bit of a pattern to a new level,” said UN human rights spokesperson Rupert Colville at a press briefing in Geneva.
“We are deeply concerned that the latest restrictions will exacerbate the human rights situation in the region,” he added.
More updates awaited
