Rumours ran amok on Saturday, create panic among people
Srinagar: It was a rumor filled day on Saturday as people in most areas of Srinagar city and other areas were seen running in panic and trying to understand the situation that has led to the panic all around.
Mainly it was the additional deployments of central forces and subsequent crackdown on leaders from separatist organizations and Jammat-e-Islami in Kashmir Valley that raised many eye-brows while people started believing that New Delhi has decided to do away with Article 35A.
There were also apprehensions that India may target Pakistan. The netizens spent hours on social media sites discussing the development.
“If they claim central forces have been deployed for election purposes then why they were brought here in such a hurry,” wrote a netizen on facebook.
Uncertainty prevailed across Kashmir while in major parts life was disrupted. In parts of Srinagar, shops and business establishments remained shut while skeletal movement of traffic was observed on roads.
In couple of areas including Parraypora and Karan Nagar there were clashes between forces and youth. Government forces used tear-smoke shells to disperse protesters at Karan Nagar, witnesses said.
Clashes also erupted also in Maisuma amid shutdown. All the shops and business establishments remained shut against the detention of JKLF Chief Muhammad Yasin Malik.
It was a day of rumours and uncertainty though police cleared the air when it claimed the crackdown on Jamat-e-Islami and the additional deployment of central armed police forces is “purely” part of an election exercise undertaken to ensure free and fair polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Orders issued by some government departments added to the fears of the people. The Government Medical College in Srinagar cancelled winter vacation of its faculty members and directed them to positively report for work on Monday.
The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, which provides ration to people through its outlets, has directed its staff members in south Srinagar to ensure completing sale of food grains in their respective areas by Saturday evening.
They were also directed to keep ration depots and sale outlets open on Sunday as well.
Notably, violent protests erupted in Lal Chowk area of Anantnag town in south Kashmir as well against the thrashing of a local youth in Chandigarh yesterday.
Eye witnesses said that the youth took to streets in Lal Chowk and staged protests against the attacks on people of Kashmiri origin outside the state following the Pulwama attack.
Shouting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the youth also displayed photographs of a local who was thrashed in Chandigarh yesterday by a mob.
They said the police tried to pacify the protesters, but they didn’t relent, leading to clashes.
The protesting youth pelted stones on the forces who in turn lobbed tear shells, reports added.
A middle aged man Farooq Ahmed Bhat of Lalan village sustained injuries after he was hit by a stone during these clashes. He was shifted to Srinagar hospital for treatment.
In Bandipora, people observed shutdown after the ‘news’ spread that one of the militants killed in Warpora Sopore hails from the district. Clashes erupted there while forces fired tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesting youth.
In a massive crackdown, authorities have detained Yain Malik and dozens of Jama’at-e-Islami cadres in the Kashmir Valley, including its top leadership during a mass crackdown.
The nocturnal raids were conducted in south, central and north Kashmir districts to mop up the senior-most members of the political group.
The sound of frequent flying of fighter jets till 1.30 am on Saturday added to the worries of the residents due to simmering Indo-Pak tension following the Pulwama suicide car bomb attack that left 40 CRPF soldiers dead on February 14.
However, IAF officials described it as a routine exercise.
Meanwhile, panic stricken people were also seen purchasing essentials ans stocking them in case the situation takes an ugly turn.
“I witnessed huge rush at various stores and people were stocking pulses and other essentials,” said Nazir Ahmad, a Srinagar youth. (with inputs from PTI and CNS)
KV Correspondent
