- Kashmir unrest completes 90 days, Protests, clashes continue
- Shutdown cripples life in Valley
- Kashmir shutdown 2nd longest in history
- Palestine observed 6-month strike in 1936
- 77 more arrested in 24 hours: Police
The ongoing uprising in Kashmir crossed the 90-day mark on Thursday, even as protests and clashes continued in several areas. A noted author said this is perhaps the longest shutdown period Kashmir has ever witnessed.
The pro-freedom uprising was triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani in southern Kokernag village on July 8. His death led to massive protests and clashes across Kashmir in which at least 93 people lost their lives in action by forces while over 1000 suffered injuries to eyes due to pellets. Over 14,000 were injured by forces during this period while more than 7000 have been taken into custody, with hundreds of them booked under the controversial Public Safety Act.
Noted author and historian, G N Gauhar, said: “I believe this is the longest and continuous shutdown Kashmir has witnessed.”
Though the intensity of pro-freedom protests and rallies has decreased in the wake of massive clampdown by forces on people, locals in a vast majority of areas across Kashmir have been of late complaining of forces’ vandalism in residential areas, breaking of windowpanes and electric appliances, apart from ruthless beating of inmates. Many South Kashmir residents said the mass arrests, night raids and huge deployment of Army especially in areas that witnessed massive freedom rallies, was a reason for the intensity of protests going down in the past 20 days or so.
“(But) despite all the strict measures taken by the government to choke people’s movement, people still continue to stage protests in whatever the way they can,” said Danish Rasool, a research scholar from Kakapora area in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district which has been an epicenter, along with other south Kashmir districts, of the ongoing uprising. “The intensity of protests has gone down, but not the resolve. are committed to a dignified resolution of the Kashmir issue.”
An Army official admitted that after deploying its additional units in South Kashmir, “we have been able to contain mass rallies especially in Anantnag, Khudwani, Redwani and Kulgam areas.”
“We have also been able to stop appearance of militants in public rallies,” he said.
The Army has been also manning the Srinagar-Jammu highway by placing its Casper vehicles every three to five kms. “The move is aimed to ensure free flow of private traffic, pedestrian movement and also the army convoy which was halted for many days in the wake of the unrest,” the official said.
Figures available with Kashmir Post reveal that at least 7000 people including elderly and teenagers have been detained or arrested by the police over the past three months. “There are over 2300 FIRs lodged against protesters and separatist leaders in various police stations across Kashmir,” police sources said. “Over 1500 protesters are still wanted for disrupting peace, and are on the run.”
Longest Shutdown
The six-month strike, a part of the 1936-39 Arab revolt in Palestine, was a nationalist uprising by Palestinian Arabs in Mandatory Palestine against the British colonial rule, as a demand for independence.
The strike was called off after the British administration used a combination of political concessions and international diplomacy involving the rulers of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Trans-Jordan and Yemen to intervene.
Longest Kashmir Shutdown
However, there seem to be no signs of the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government at New Delhi offering any concession to Kashmir, which has already witnessed 90-day massive protest demonstrations and marches that Government of India (GoI) and State government have dealt with excessive force resulting in the killing of 88 civilians at the hands of paramilitary forces, Army and Police and injuries to more than 12,000 persons, hundreds of them blinded, maimed and handicapped.
With the heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad, the calls of the international community led by the United States of urging the two nuclear neighbours of entering into a dialogue process on Kashmir also seem to have fallen flat at the moment.
Meanwhile, the unified separatist leaders led by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik have been issuing protest calendars every week with no full-day relaxation slated for 97 continuous days up to October 13.
The current shutdown is already the longest ever in Kashmir’s turbulent history and is inching toward 100 days.
Rs 10,000 Crores Losses
Muhammad Yasin Khan, the Chairman of Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), an amalgam of various trade bodies of Kashmir, puts the losses of the ongoing shutdowns at more than Rs 10,000 crore.
“After the 2010 uprising, we calculated the everyday losses and it was estimated to be at Rs 120 crore to Rs 135 crore and by that estimation, Kashmir has suffered losses between Rs 10,800 crore to Rs 12,150 crore,” he said.
However, Kashmiri economist, Nisar Ali told Kashmir Post that the three-month shutdown has cost Kashmir Rs 6000 crore with the Tourism sector alone suffering Rs 3500 losses.
He said the government had also suffered a loss of Rs 1200 crore that it pays to employees in the form of salary in Kashmir valley alone.
“As the output in public services is nil, the salary goes down the drain,” he said.
Never Ending Shutdown
The only respite that people have had during the shutdown period has been a few hours in the evenings on some days although certain sectors like public transport have not been able to avail even that breather.
Kashmir also witnessed long spells of shutdowns in early 1990s and again during the three summer uprisings of 2008, 2009 and 2010, however, strikes then would not be continuous and people would attend offices and do their businesses during some days of relaxation.
For people to brave odds and survive such a long spell of shutdowns is exemplary as world history has never witnessed such unending shutdown, not even during World War I and II.
Longest Run Govt. Shutdown
The longest-ever government shutdown in the US history was for 21 days in 1995-1996 from December 15 to January 6 when the Republicans demanded that then US President Bill Clinton propose a budget with the seven-year timetable using Congressional Budget Office numbers, rather than Clinton’s Office of Management and Budget numbers that Clinton refused.
The shutdown was called off when, eventually, Congress and Clinton agreed to pass a compromise budget.
Long Indian Agitation
India too has had its share of long agitations but those agitations did not witness continued shutdowns.
Talking to Kashmir Post, Kashmiri historian Ashiq Hussain said India witnessed long agitations like the Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement and Quit India Movement.
“(Mohandas Karamchand) Gandhi led all three agitations and failed to get anything for India every time,” he said.
The Non-Cooperation Movement continued for two years from January 1920 to April 10, 1922, the Civil Disobedience Movement started on February 11, 1930 and ended after two years while the Quit India Movement started on August 8, 1942 and continued for months, ending after the British arrested one lakh Indians.
First & Second Intifada
Palestine also witnessed long agitations in the form of First and Second Intifada but those were not continuous shutdowns, rather spells of agitations spanning over years.
The First Intifada, the Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, lasted from December 1987 to the Madrid Conference in 1991.
The Second Intifada or the Al-Aqsa Intifada, was the second Palestinian uprising against Israel that started in September 2000 with the visit of Israel Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon to the Dome of the Rock in the Al Aqsa Masjid compound, which was seen by Palestinians as highly provocative.
The Al-Aqsa Intifada ended after the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit on February 8, 2005 when Palestine President, Mahmoud Abbas and Sharon agreed that all Palestinians would stop all acts of violence against all Israelis everywhere and Israel would cease all its military activity against all Palestinians everywhere.
Euromaidan & Orange Revolution
Ukraine witnessed ‘Euromaidan’, a wave of three-month protests from November 21, 2013 at Maidan Nezalezhnosti or the ‘Independence Square’ in Kiev, demanding closer European integration.
The protests culminated by the end of February 2014 with the ousting of Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych and leading to 2014 Ukrainian revolution.
Though protests were intense and continued for three months, unlike Kashmir, Kiev did not witness a complete shutdown.
Ukraine had also witnessed ‘Orange Revolution’ following protests from late November 2004 to January 2005 after the 2004 Ukrainian presidential elections claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud.
The Ukraine-wide protests succeeded when results of the ‘rigged’ polls were annulled and a revote ordered with the Orange Revolution ending after the declaration of the official winner on January 23, 2005.
Separatists Caged
Police sources said over 150 separatist leaders/activists have been detained or arrested so far. While Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani continues to remain under house arrest at his Hyderpora residence in Srinagar, Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Miwaiz Umar Farooq is languishing in sub-jail at Chesmashahi, while JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik has been lodged at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) at Humhama. He was first lodged in police station Kothibagh on July 8, and then shifted to Central Jail Srinagar where from he was taken to police station Humhama.
‘No Prayers At Jamia Masjid since 12 weeks’
The J&K government, despite all the massive criticism, disallowed congregational Friday prayers at historic Jamia Masjid continuously for the past 12 weeks. This is despite the fact that religious leaders have slammed the government for what they called interfering in religious affairs of people. Also, the first time in the recent past, the government disallowed congregational Friday prayers at the revered shrine of Hazratbal on August 5.
‘July 9 —The Deadliest Day’
According to the figures available with Kashmir Post, at least 12 protesters died on July 9—a day after Burhan Wani’s killing—making it as the day of highest casualties in the past 90 days. The day saw massive protests against the killing of Wani with police admitting that the day was “very difficult” to handle as situation turned tough at various places.
Pellets Kills 13
The use of pellets proved lethal in Kashmir as at least 13 youth including two teenagers died of pellets in the past three months. The forces, however, continued to use pellets to quell protestors despite an announcement by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh that “there would be no use of pellets.”
Situation On Thursday
Police imposed curfew-like restrictions in various parts of old Srinagar in view of Muharram processions while at least 15 people sustained injuries during clashes in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Witnesses said since early morning, sudden restrictions were imposed at Khanyar Crossing in Srinagar, and roads leading towards Rainawari, Chattipadshahi, Saida Kadal and Nigeen areas were sealed in view of possible Muharram processions.
Reports said clashes broke out at Batpora, Kanihama village where forces allegedly resorted to pellet firing to quell protests in which at least 15 people sustained injuries. Reports said that a few army vehicles were stoned by protesters at Beerwah when soldiers tried to remove barricades placed on road. Reports said mild-stone pelting took place at Ganderbal-Soura 90-ft road.
Students of Class 10th and 12th from Khalmulla, Rangil, Nagbal, Shuhama and its adjoining areas staged protests at Nagbal against the state government’s decision of conducting exams in November. Carrying placards and chanting pro-freedom, and anti government slogans, the students marched from Faak area to Nagbal. Police reached the spot and dispersed the protesters by resorted to lathi-charge.
Meanwhile, mild clashes erupted in Ajar area of Bandipora between youth and forces. Witnesses said youths hurled stones at forces who responded by firing tear smoke shells to disperse the protesters. However, no injuries were reported. Locals alleged that forces damaged several residential houses in the area after clashes. “Forces broke windowpanes of several residential houses and damaged property here,” they said.
Meanwhile, police arrested three persons in Ajas village on Thursday. They were identified as Rayees Ahmad Rather (26), Khursheed Ahmad Bhat (30) and Shahid-ul-Islam (25). Salman Yousuf, a resident of Brar Bandipora, general secretary Hurriyat (G), Bandipora has been booked under PSA and has been sent to Kathua jail.
Meanwhile, markets opened in Bandipora after 5 pm on the call of joint resistance leadership. Late night reports said protests and clashes erupted at Samboora area of Pulwama after Army allegedly launched search operations.
Restrictions In Srinagar Today
In a bid to foil the proposed march towards UN office in Srinagar on Friday, the government has decided to impose restrictions in several areas of the summer capital, including the downtown. The call for UN march has been given by the joint resistance leadership.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Farooq Ahmad Lone said that restrictions will be put in place in several areas of Srinagar.
Police Version
According to a statement issued by the Zonal Police Headquarters Kashmir, the situation across Kashmir remained normal today and there was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere. The statement said with the improvement in overall situation there was a quantum increase in the day today activities across the Valley.
“Increased volume of private as well as public traffic was seen on roads across the valley,” it claimed, adding the “shops were open and a large number of vendors were seen on the roads lanes and by-lanes.” The statement said that in its continuous and sustained drive “against the trouble mongers”, police during last 24 hours arrested 77 such people involved in various offences of “disturbing public order in different parts of the valley.”
