Business Community in Kashmir at the receiving end

Abdul Majid, a shopkeeper at Srinagar’s city centre was all geared up on Monday evening as the Resistance camp had asked business establishment to keep open shops/establishments from 6 Pm in the evening, as he went to lift shutters of his shop, there was a loud shouts from forces asking everybody to shut their establishments. Frustrated, Majid tried to argue with the security forces personnel but to no avail. “We are caught between devil and deep sea,” he said while talking with other fellow businessmen who had come with a…

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Valley responds to Separatists call, Business establishments starts opening at 6PM

Police ‘Seal Deal’ in Srinagar – Forced shops to shut down Shops and business establishments started opening in Lal Chowk area of Srinagar Monday 6pm responding to the call of separatist leaders. Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik had called upon people to resume their routine business everyday at 6 pm. Reports reaching Srinagar said that all shops and business establishments started opening at 6pm in Bandipora as well. Local sources said that even traffic started moving in the north Kashmir district. Separatists have extended shutdown upto August 6…

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Geelani condemns attacks on Tourists, Amarnath Pilgrims

Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani on Friday condemned attacks on Amarnath Yatra pilgrims and tourists in the Valley and appealed people to beware of “those are out to defame the genuine struggle of Kashmiris”. In a statement issued here, the Geelani-headed Hurriyat group and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat said Geelani has distanced himself and his party from elements who reportedly indulge in creating confusion among the masses. These miscreants move on motor bikes and scooters distributing pamphlets among the people inviting them against Amarnath Yatris and the tourists, the statement said. “Some…

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Kashmir Tourism again on back foot

The Kashmir valley’s tourism sector has taken a hit yet again in the wake of widespread protests that have erupted after the recent killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The sector had remained badly affected after the September 2014 floods, but started on the revival path this year. Now, the law and order situation has led to large-scale cancellation of bookings and stakeholders are more worried because tourists are leaving the Valley hurriedly at present. While some tourists are stranded, others have been leaving at night or in the…

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Amid communication Curbs, BSNL to connect govt officials only

Provides 600 new connections on priority Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the only telecom company functional across the State has been providing fresh postpaid connections to government officials only, leaving the locals who seek fresh connection in despair. At least six hundred (600) new connections have been given to the officials on the priority basis in two days, while as the ones who lurk in the hospitals or anywhere far from their homes have been standing in queues outside the telephone exchange in vain. “We distributed sims to officials only…

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State incurs a loss of Rs 10,000 cr in 12 days

The unrest in Kashmir triggered by the killing of a militant commander on July 8 has led to the business loss of Rs 10,000 crore to the state. Clashes, curfew, Internet and phone restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir have spoiled the peak tourism and pilgrimage season of the state. The Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCI) and other stakeholders of tourism were expecting more than five lakh pilgrims during the Amarnath yatra and lakhs of tourists were also expected in Kashmir as well Jammu during the month of July this…

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Communication gag compounds miseries of Injured, Patients

The trauma of injured and their families is multiplying manifold with communication embargo enforced in Kashmir for the past 11 days making treatment seeking, logistic arrangement difficult and even creating impediments in hospital functioning. On Wednesday, a young man from a village ’25 km off Kupwara’ with pellet injury in eye pleaded before another getting discharged from the hospital: “Please stop your vehicle at my village and whosoever you meet on road, give them this letter.” “The villagers will in turn hand this letter to my family,” the young man…

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Oil Supply to Valley, Ladakh remains suspended for 8th day

200 tankers damaged; 1,800 remain off road; 10 drivers injured Even as the supply of petroleum products to Kashmir and Ladakh remained suspended on the eighth consecutive day today, tanker owners have claimed that around 200 oil tankers have been damaged by the protesters at various places in the Kashmir valley. They also claimed that at least 10 tanker drivers have suffered injuries after they were allegedly assaulted by violent protesters. In the prevailing volatile situation, oil tanker owners have refused to restore petrol and diesel supply to the Kashmir…

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Markets set own clock as Valley Simmers

A carefully set timetable to open and close markets amid the ongoing unrest in the region is helping maintain a steady supply of essentials and daily use commodities to the residents. The markets in the city neighbourhoods here open twice a day: for a few hours at dawn and after dusk prayers. During the day, the markets remain closed across the region as shutdown and curfew continue for a ninth day across the Kashmir valley. The unrest was triggered by the killing of a militant commander on July 8 and…

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Four Amarnath pilgrims die of heart attack enroute holy cave

Four Amarnath pilgrims died due to cardiac arrest en route to the cave shrine in Kashmir Himalayas over the past three days, taking the death toll in this year’s pilgrimage to 15, officials said here on Sunday. Rajinder Singh, a 35-year-old pilgrim from Punjab, died due to cardiac arrest at Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district, a police official said. He said 58-year-old R C Bose from West Bengal also died due to heart attack at Baltal base camp. Mohan Lal (65), hailing from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, died due…

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