Verdict Day: Kashmir Continues To Cripple Under Curfew
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
02 October, 2010
Dinamalar
Srinagar: After eighteen days of almost uninterrupted curfew and restrictions in Kashmir since Eid ul Fitr, the state government on the day of the Ayodhya judgment yet again imposed a strict curfew across the Srinagar city and all the major towns of the valley, on Thursday. This came a day after people witnessed a rare normal day of activity on Wednesday when the government lifted restrictions in most parts of the valley on the day of a no-strike call given by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chief of the Tehreek e Hurriyat, and leading the current anti-India agitation in the valley. Till the time of filing this report, no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state.
Reacting to the judgment, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, told this correspondent, “The issue [of Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid] is a creation of politics of both the Congress and various pro-Hindutva groups in India. Today, the Indian judicial system has failed to deliver justice. This verdict is a blot on the Indian judiciary.” He added: “The issue is close to the hearts of Muslims around the world. But I fervently appeal to the Muslims of Kashmir to let the Wakf Board fight the case in the Indian courts and not take any steps that may harm the ongoing freedom movement in Kashmir.”
Kashmir has remained extremely tense since more than three months in the wake of the disclosure by the army of a fake encounter, in which three civilians were killed and passed off as terrorists by a group of army men in April in the Machhil region of the Kupwara district. In the ensuing public protests across the valley, more than 100 people, including children, have so far been killed in police and paramilitary action.
People remained glued to their TV screens throughout the afternoon waiting for the verdict to be announced. Manzoor Ahmed, a local businessman, on hearing that the land could be equally divided between the contesting parties, said, “It must end the long pending discord. The court seems to have taken consideration of the politics of the matter.” I hope the case has been solved forever and no one starts another trial in the Supreme Court, he added, while he remained confined to his house in downtown Srinagar throughout the day.
Masood Hussain, a senior journalist based in Srinagar, recalled the day of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. “It didn’t have a serious impact in the valley,” he said, dismissing fears of any violence in the valley after the verdict was announced. Kashmir, however, witnessed violent protests on September 12, a day after Eid ul Fitr, when people started protesting the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran in New York. At least fifteen civilians were killed by the end of that day during clashes, which, however, were largely also attributed to the prevailing unrest in the valley.
Reacting to the verdict, Sheikh Showkat Hussain, noted political analyst and professor in the department of law in Kashmir University, said the Lucknow High Court has “acted as an arbitration tribunal rather than a judiciary tribunal”. He added, “It [the Lucknow High Court] has failed in upholding the rule of law.” This judgment will enhance the trust deficit and the alienation among Kashmiris towards New Delhi, he said.
Meanwhile, the leader of opposition Mehbooba Mufti announced today that her Peoples Democratic Party would boycott the assembly for the rest of the session. Today was the first day the assembly had met as the Speaker moved Obituary Motion. Jammu observed a bandh on a call given by the Bhartiya Janata Party and supported by other Hindu groups. The bandh was called against what they called a “Kashmir-centric” 8-point proposal, given by New Delhi in view of the current unrest.
Published in the Tamil daily Dinamalar of October 1, 2010
