Kashmir region witnessed unusual silence and the day went peacefully on Monday as the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 was watched live by most residents on mobile phones and television sets.
The situation was peaceful and life remained unaffected, even as people murmured their “discontentment” with the verdict. “It is hard to express opinions given the grip of the security agencies. There is a cost to pay for expressing feelings. Most people choose not to express their thoughts, even if you are unhappy,” a local shopkeeper at Lal Chowk said, on the condition of anonymity.
Nazneen Jan, a law student, said she had been following the SC verdict on her mobile phone since early morning. “It was a critical juncture of Kashmir’s history to witness. I don’t think anyone would have not followed it since the morning,” Ms. Jan said, while refusing to comment on the judgment.
Meanwhile, security was stepped up in volatile areas, especially the parts of the old city in Srinagar. However, shops remained open and people were seen milling around throughout the day.
Official sources said the footprint of the security forces was increased in Kashmir “to ensure no bid is made to disturb the law and order”. Unlike 2019 when the Centre abrogated Article 370, there were no restrictions on the movement of people or suspension of the internet services in the Valley. The infamous barbed wires used to seal the roads in the Valley were kept off on most of the stretches.
“There are no restrictions on any movement. Examinations as scheduled by different public bodies are being held as scheduled, businesses are open and transport is plying. The common man’s normal life continues at its usual pace and the police, though alert about attempts of the handful always eager to disrupt peace, have no intention or instructions to curtail this freedom of movement and activities,” a police spokesperson said.
However, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti alleged local shopkeepers were warned of consequences if they fail to keep shops open on Monday. Ms. Mufti, along with National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah and CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami, alleged that they were put under house arrest in Srinagar.
J&K Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha refuted these allegations of the political leaders. “Some people are trying to spread rumours about house arrest and arrests of people. I am stating this with full responsibility that nobody has been placed under house arrest nor has anyone been arrested due to political reasons in J&K,” Mr. Sinha said.
The police also clarified that “no orders to effect any kind of arrest, and certainly not connected with the court proceedings including on Article 370 by the top court.”
Meanwhile, several security agencies, including the Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Army, were alerted and directed to avoid convoy movements on Monday. The security forces, who accompany special protectees, were asked to avoid any movement in sensitive or volatile localities.
Official sources said the police had stepped-up monitoring of content posted online. Several netizens faced legal actions in the past few days for their posts. The Cyber Police Kashmir on Sunday issued a fresh advisory “to use social media platforms responsibly and refrain from sharing rumours, fake news, hate speech or obscene, violent and defamatory content”.
It warned against indulging in “propagation of terrorist and secessionist ideology and false narrative”.
