By Sheikh Imran Bashir, Agence India Press,
Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani customized its protest calendar again on Friday after counter war on protest calls starts from authorities.
As part of its ‘Quit Kashmir’ campaign, Hurriyat (G) asked people to not to observe strike on September 25 and on Sunday 26, September.
While talking to Agence India Press, Hurriyat (G) spokesman Ayaz Akbar said, “There shall be not strike on Saturday and Sunday.”
He further said people should carry out their routine life and said there will be no protest on these days.
The new protests calendar will be issued on Sunday, he added.
Meanwhile, strict curfew remained in place in most parts of the valley for the 13th consecutive day Friday with phased relaxations in the afternoon.
Authorities today relaxed the curfew restrictions at some places in North, South and Central Kashmir, said police.
Accordint to police spokesman, curfew was relaxed in Trehgam and Kralpora from 03.30 PM to 6.00 PM while in Kupwara town from 3.15 PM to 6.30 PM.
At Anantnag and Bijbehara in South Kashmir the restrictions were relaxed from 4.30PM to 7 PM. In Kulgam the curfew was relaxed from 4 PM onwards.
At Kangan it was relaxed from 4PM to 7PM and at Ganderbal from 5PM to 7PM, during which some shops reopened and private transport started plying though public transport remained off the road. People were seen buying eatables, medicines and other essential items.
Authorities continued their counter on Hurriyat (G) protest calendar.
Earlier APHC (G) announced a two-day break in the protest calendar, though state authorities imposed curfew it seems that to break the “writ” of Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
This was for the third time that the relaxation announced by Hurriyat (G) was countered by the authorities with imposition of curfew. Earlier Hurriyat (G) had called on people not to observe strike and protests on September 19 (Sunday) and September 22 (Wednesday). However, there was no such respite from the government.
People suffer lot between the battle of the government and the separatists.
The government’s new experiment of fighting fire with fire had begun to become evident a few days ago when it clamped curfew on top of a break in strike, and was more or less confirmed today when curfew continued despite Geelani’s announcement of a normal working day.
The decision to continue with curfew was learnt to have been taken at a high-level meeting here chaired by the chief minister, Omar Abdullah, with sources saying that the government would take recourse of restrictions whenever Geelani gave a respite in his strikes, for the time being at least.
Geelani in his previous calendar had asked entrepreneurs to resume manufacturing activities at night. But the day and night curfew has frustrated the move. Prior to Geelani’s calendar, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq of the Hurriyat (M) had called for a ‘civil disobedient movement’ to frustrate the government.
The state government has announced that schools will reopen on Monday. “The government has already announced the new school timing which will be strictly adhered to (from September 27) keeping in view the demand of parents in general and entire student community in particular,” Kashmir Commissioner Asgar Hassan Samoon said.
“There is very less time available for completion of syllabus ahead of school examinations.” Samoon said concerned district authorities will take care of security aspect of the students.
Reports from Kupwara said the Army went to a number of villages and announced that schools will reopen on Monday.
Part of the ‘quit Kashmir campaign calendars’ offer people schedules for marches, protests and other activities. Most of these schedules were success.
Now, nobody knows what the state government plans for these two days, when Hurriyat (G) has asked people to resume normal life.
It is supposed to be open as per the Geelani’s calendar but the people are not sure about authorities either they allow local movement or continue counter on Geelani’s call by imposing curfew.