SRINAGAR:  Hundred days after scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs) by the Centre, the life in Valley is yet to fully return to normal and prepaid mobile and internet services continue to remain blocked. Public transport is off the road and the spontaneous shutdown continues.

Top mainstream leaders, including three former chief ministers, continue to be in detention and no prayers have been allowed in the grand mosque (Jamia Masjid) in Nowhatta since August 5. The authorities have been imposing restrictions on every Friday in parts of Srinagar and other sensitive areas of Valley since the scrapping of the special status. 

The authorities disallowed people from visiting the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar to celebrate Idd-e-Milad un Nabi on Sunday. Earlier, the authorities barred people from offering annual afternoon prayers at Sufi saint Hazrat Naqashband Sahib mosque in downtown Srinagar.

The spontaneous shutdown against scrapping of Article 370 in the Valley since August 5 continues. Shopkeepers and businessmen are now following a new time frame for the shutdown.

They open their shops for a few hours in the morning till 10.30 am. Then they closed their shops for the day and some of them again reopen their shops at 4.30 pm in the evening for a few hours.

Big business houses, especially those dealing with clothes, readymade garments, wedding items, jewelry, electronics, mobiles, etc, have suffered heavy losses as people prefer to purchase daily commodities and essential items rather than luxury items. The sale of cars is also down over the last 100 days.

Leaders to be shifted

All the detained mainstream leaders, including two former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti and ex-ministers and ex-legislators, would be shifted to other locations in Srinagar due to the prevailing cold wave conditions in the Valley. 

16 killed in Doda accident

Sixteen people, including five women and three children, were killed on Tuesday when a passenger vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, police said. Doda SSP Mumtaz Ahmad said one more person was rescued.