A sombre friday as Kashmiris worry about kin

SRINAGAR: The first Friday prayers after the withdrawal of Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir passed off without any major incident, but locals were beginning to show signs of restlessness over the clampdown as they queued up before offices of district officials just to use the phone.

The biggest concern of Valley residents is that their loved ones in other parts of the country are probably being turned into objects of hate and humiliation.

Fatima, whose son is in Bengaluru, is extremely worried and has camped outside the district collector’s office — the place with the phone helpline.


“My son has been abused and taunted by his own friends there. He is facing humiliation and cried over the phone for the two minutes I could speak to him. We have had no exchange other than that,” she told ET.

The Friday prayers were lowkey as bigger mosques in the city remained closed. At the mosques, the prayers went off peacefully but without the use of loudspeakers, which were not allowed. Most people, however, stayed indoors despite Eid-ul-Zuha being just a couple of days away on August 12. Local markets wore a deserted look.

The district collector’s office at Srinagar has set up three lines for incoming and outgoing calls but not everyone was able to speak to their family members due to a long queue.

“Why have only two helplines been set up,” a visibly upset Aashiq Mir questioned, while waiting for his turn at the Srinagar district collector’s office.

Most Could not Hear PM’s Address
“The incoming and outgoing calls are on the same handset which means that only one person can make the call at a time. It would have been easier if these helplines were set up at each police station. One of the phone lines is dedicated for VIPs, leaving the rest for common people. I have been standing here for past three hours and the list already has 155 names before mine,” Mir said.

The one big constant is the anger against local politicians for not being able to anticipate or deal with the situation. “Our Kashmiri politicians who fought elections for grabbing power cheated us and now the government of India has humiliated us with this unilateral decision. This has made the division more stark. I hope this anger does not lead to violence,” Sadiq Amin, a businessman, told ET after offering Friday prayers.

As internet and cable connections remained cut off, most people could not get to hear Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address, except those who took the trouble of somehow accessing Doordarshan.

“You don’t promise development when people are in jail. This was the time to tell people when they will be freed and allowed to express themselves,” said Mukhtar Bhat, a resident of Srinagar.

Protests were reported from some parts of Srinagar and adjoining districts, though no major casualty was reported until Friday evening. On Thursday, some people with pellet injuries were admitted to hospitals in Srinagar.

Left leaders D Raja and Sitaram Yechury were not allowed to move towards Srinagar after they arrived at the airport while local political leaders including those from the Hurriyat continued to remain under house arrest.

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval continued his stay in the Valley, traveling daily to different parts to monitor the situation on ground. He has also convened some close-door meetings with select officials and local contacts. Doval met J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik at the Raj Bhavan and discussed the prevailing scenario. Both of them have emphasised on the urgent need to reach out to people and help them meet their daily needs besides ensuring their safety and security.