A civilian was killed and several other wounded in firing as protesters clashed with security forces in Bandipore, less than 70 km from Jammu and Kashmir capital Srinagar. With the recent incident, the death toll in violent clashes in the state since July is now 80.
The authorities has imposed curfew in the all 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley, but protesters have defied restrictions in many places, taking out demonstrations.
People have been asked to offer prayers at local mosques. For the first time, Eid prayers today are not being held at the famous Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar.
According to the information, Shepherds who waited the whole year to sell sheep and goats for the Eid sacrifice said there were no customers and usually bustling with festivity on Eid, Srinagar's marketplaces are deserted today, with bakeries and sweet shops closed.
Zarief Ahmad Zarief, a noted Kashmiri poet and social activist, said that, "In my life of 70 years, I have never seen such a situation when you are facing curbs on Eid day. This is the most sacred day for us and on this day such helplessness, desperation and restrictions."
The Firstpost reported, in Sonwar locality of Srinagar, Qurat Hameed, a lecturer in a local college, said that, “Eid means happiness but where is that happiness now?” Qurat asks, “How can we celebrate Eid when eighty people have been killed, mothers are applying henna on the bare hands of their unmarred dead sons and women are being forced to become pallbearers.”
“My children are used to new clothes, toys and pastries on this day but I had to tell them that on this Eid, we won’t be having anything of that sort. It is strange, even they don’t seem affected by not having these things,” she adds.
Sofi, a professor in Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, said that, “My seven-year-old girl peeps out of window, looks at the concertina wires spread across the road, which connects Kanli Bagh with main town Baramulla, and says please don’t go outside the army will beat you baba.”
A spokesman of former chief minister Omar Abdullah's National Conference, said that, "The PDP always loves to compare the situation with 2010 agitation but never ever has there been a curfew on auspicious occasion like Eid before."
Also Read: 28-member all-party team to visit J&K!
Nandini
