Strike cripples life in Kashmir for 2nd day

Normal life in Kashmir remained crippled for the second consecutive day on Thursday due to the strike called by separatists to voice support for Article 35A, which bars non-state residents from buying land and applying in various government jobs in the State and against NIA raids.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a conglomerate of separatists headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik had called for a shutdown on Wednesday and Thursday to highlight support for the Article 35A and against the raids conducted by National Investigation Agency (NIA) on the residences of separatists and militants.

The strike call evoked an exemplary response on both the days as normal life across the Kashmir remained crippled. Shops, business establishments and offices remained closed across the Valley for the second day while all kinds of transport remained off the roads due to the strike.

Fearing protests, authorities had imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar and other sensitive areas of the Valley. Police and paramilitary CRPF were deployed in huge numbers in areas placed under restrictions and also at other vulnerable other parts of the Valley.

On Tuesday, the NIA sleuths carried out raids at the residences of seven separatist leaders including moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and pro-independence JKLF chief Yasin Malik. The NIA in its statement claimed to have seized “incriminating material” during the raids.

Protests have been held across the length and breadth of Kashmir over the past eight months with mainstream parties like the National Conference and PDP also holding rallies in support of continuing Article 35-A.