Isolated, Cut off in Curfew Bound Valley

Caught in the unrest for the past more than two months, people in the Valley remained caged in their homes. Most have lost contact with their relatives in various parts of the region as travelling to other districts has become near impossible.
Sama Sheikh, 35, along with her husband and two children was visiting Kashmir from the UAE after three years and was excited about meeting her family in Kashmir, but hadn’t thought she wouldn’t be able to go out and meet her close relatives.
“When I reached Srinagar on September 10, I thought at least I can visit my close relatives in north and south Kashmir but I was stuck in Srinagar for two weeks, so I am going back without seeing my uncles and aunts. It was disheartening,” says Sama.
For the people in the Valley who have been living under curfew and shutdowns for the past 79 days now, visiting relatives for condolence or visiting a sick relative is no less than a nightmarish experience.
“No one wants to risk his life. People are not able to step out of their homes and visit extended family members and relatives living in other parts of the Valley, not even on important occasions. Everyone fears for his own safety,” says Manzoor Ahmad, 43, a resident of old Srinagar city.
After the agitation started in Kashmir following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8, private mobile phone networks and Internet remain blocked, depriving people of means of communication.
“Even calling each other or sending a WhatsApp text has become impossible in times of technology,” says Sadat Hussain, a private school teacher in Srinagar.
After the killing of a youth in north Kashmir’s Baramulla on Friday, the government has again suspended the phone networks in the district, except BSNL postpaid, putting people in more trouble.
“When any killings or protests take place, phones become the first target of the government. When there are so many restrictions in place already, phones should at least spared and be allowed to work without any hindrance so that we can know the well-being of our dear ones,” says Abdul Majid, a resident of north Kashmir.

Related posts