Article 370 roll back: Uncertainty in Kashmir completes 100 days

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Internet, prepaid mobile phones remain suspended, political leaders still caged; journos protest, demand restoration of internet services

Owais Gul

Srinagar, Nov 12 (KNO): The uncertainty in Kashmir following the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status (Article 370), completed the 100 days on Tuesday with most of the shops in Srinagar and other districts remaining closed while the public traffic was partially back on streets since Monday.

The central government announced the repealing of Article 370 and bifurcation of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State into two Union Territories on August 5, following which the people across Kashmir have been observing spontaneous shutdown to protest against the move, which was implemented on October 31, 2019.

Witnesses told the wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that most of the shops, business establishments as well as petrol pumps continued remain closed while as the public traffic is yet to resume normally.

They said that some of the passenger vehicles including Mini buses, Tata Sumos and others were seen ferrying passengers throughout the day.The mainstream political party leaders including the three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir—Dr. Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah ad Mehbooba Mufti were put under detention since August 5 while a few of the leaders were released by the government in the previous month.

It is worth to mention here that the train services that remained barred across Kashmir since August 5, resumed partially today while the administration has decided to resume the service fully on November 16.

Earlier, it was decided that the trains will chug again on November 11 while the train-run will be carried out on November 10. The untimely snowfall as per the sources however delayed the trial-run for couple of days.

Moreover, the prepaid mobile services continued to remain suspended in Kashmir for the 100thday today. All the mobile facilities including prepaid mobile services, landline services, postpaid mobile services and internet facilities, both broadband and mobile internet were suspended in the intervening night of August 04-05. Nonetheless, the services except internet and prepaid mobile services were by the government gradually.

Meanwhile, the journalists from Kashmir, working in different organizations today staged a protest against the continuous suspension of internet facilities from last 100 days. The government has established a media facilitation centre in Kashmir where the journalists can avail the internet facilities for limited time.

According to KNO, the scribes of different media outlets today staged a protest outside Kashmir Press Club (KPC), carrying laptops and placards to protest against the internet suspension. The journalists demanded immediate restoration of the internet services, stating that depriving them of the services has affected their work. “It is unfortunate that after elapsing 100 days, the journalists are being deprived of the basic journalism tools like internet. The services should be restored immediately so that we can do our work properly,” Anees Zargar, one of the protesting journalist said

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