Posters threaten traders in Valley, several areas shut

Several schools reopen, but students asked not to wear uniforms

Srinagar, Nov. 20: Several areas in Kashmir, including parts of Srinagar, witnessed a complete shutdown on Wednesday after posters warning shopkeepers against the opening of shops appeared overnight, officials said. There was a complete shutdown in several areas in downtown (Old City) of Srinagar on Wednesday as shopkeepers did not open their business establishments in the morning, they said. The officials said the shutdown was also witnessed in Ganderbal town in central Kashmir and Anantnag town in south Kashmir. They said the shutdown was being observed after some miscreants threatened the shopkeepers and posters, warning them of dire consequences if they opened their business

establishments, appeared at some places overnight.

There was lesser movement of public transport in these areas, they added.

However, in the Civil Lines areas of the city and other parts of the Valley, life was limping back to normalcy, the officials said.

Several schools reopened here on Tuesday after remaining closed for over three months due to the unannounced shutdown following the Centre’s decision to abrogate the Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370. The officials said several private schools in the city here resumed classes but asked the students to come without wearing the uniform. The move to resume classes came as public transport has started to ply in the valley and the life was fast returning to normalcy.

The city and most areas elsewhere in the valley saw a significant improvement in the movement of public transport since Monday.

The officials said the intra-district as well as the inter-district connectivity has improved significantly.

Auto-rickshaws and inter-district cabs have been plying for a while now, but in the last few days, the movement of intra-district cabs across the Valley has also increased, they added.