After nearly 11 weeks of curfew and unrest in the Kashmir valley, major markets in Srinagar opened during the day on Sunday, bringing business back after 79 days of shutdown.
Separatist leaders called for a 16-hour break in the shutdown – the longest one so far.
Crowds of shoppers thronged the market hub of the city, Lal Chowk, as it opened at 2 pm. Several places in the city reported traffic jams as the city returned to a semblance of normal life.
The last time Srinagar’s markets remained open during the day was on 5 July, three days before Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed, unleashing a spate of government clampdowns and protests in the Valley.
Separatist leaders have been issuing weekly calendars of the shutdowns and had called for daytime relaxation on 26 July, but were met with defiance from protesters.
There is, however, some fatigue setting in even among demonstrators as the unrest enters its 13th week.
Parts of old Srinagar, however, remained tense as protesters attempted to take out rallies or asked residents not to observe relaxation.
Most public transports other than autorickshaws also stayed off roads.
Source: The Tribune
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)