Streets remain mostly deserted amid lockdown
SRINAGAR, India — Troops in Indianadministered Kashmir allowed some Muslims to walk to local mosques alone or in pairs Monday for the Eid alAdha festival during an unprecedented security lockdown in the disputed region that has gone on for eight days.
Thousands of additional troops were sent to the disputed Himalayan region before India’s Hindu nationalistled government said Aug. 5 it was revoking Kashmir’s special constitutional status and downgrading its statehood.
All communications and the internet remained cut off in the Muslimmajority territory to limit protests of the Indian government’s decision. Streets were deserted, with most people staying indoors and authorities not allowing large groups to gather.
“Our hearts are on fire,” said Habibullah Bhat, 75, who said he came out to pray on the Islamic holy day despite his failing health. “India has thrown us into the dark ages, but God is on our side and our resistance will win.”
Hundreds of worshipers gathered on a Srinagar street after the prayers and chanted, “We want freedom” and “Go India, go back,” witnesses said. Officials said the protest ended peacefully.
Elsewhere, two people were injured in violent incidents, senior police officer S.P. Pani said. He did not give any details.
Kashmir police said in a tweet that Eid prayers “concluded peacefully in various parts of the (Kashmir) Valley. No untoward incident reported so far.” Independent verification of events in the region was difficult because of the communications shutdown.
India’s foreign ministry shared photos of people visiting mosques but didn’t specify where the photos were taken in the region, which New Delhi downgraded from a state to two federal territories a week ago.
Vijay Keshav Gokhale, the ministry’s top diplomat, said communications restrictions “will be gradually eased when we feel the law and order situation improves.” He said most mosques were open, but some were not for security reasons.
The lockdown is expected to last through Thursday, India’s independence day. The restrictions were briefly eased for Friday prayers last week and for shopping ahead of Eid.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both. The nuclear neighbors and bitter rivals have fought two wars over Kashmir, and the first one ended in 1948 with a promise of a U.N.sponsored referendum in the territory. It has never been held.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed support for people in the Indianadministered portion of Kashmir to have selfdetermination. Both visited the Pakistanicontrolled portion of Kashmir for Eid.
Qureshi urged the international community to take notice of “Indian atrocities and human rights violations in Kashmir.” He said Islamabad was trying its best to highlight the issue internationally and expose Indian “cruelties.”