No curfew or shutdown on Eid eve in Kashmir

SRINAGAR - On the eve of Eid and after many days of unrest, curfew was not imposed anywhere in the Kashmir Valley Friday and the separatists didn’t call for a shutdown, enabling people to prepare for the festival.

“No curfew or preventive restrictions are in force anywhere in the valley today (Friday),” a police officer said here.

“There were no restrictions imposed anywhere yesterday (Thursday) also to allow people to shop for the Eid-ul-Fitr festival being celebrated tomorrow,” he added.

A large number of people had finished their bit of Eid shopping Thursday itself.

Shops, banks and other businesses were open and public transport plied normally on the city roads. But not too many were seen buying mutton, poultry, bakery and other food items as people want to keep the Eid celebrations low-key this year due to the present unrest in the valley that has claimed 69 lives.

“In the present uncertainty, the best celebration is to pray for peace in the valley. I did not buy new clothes for myself and my family this Eid and believe me, nobody complained at home as they understand the valley is passing through one of its worst troubles this time,” said Nazir Ahmad, a 46-year-old bank officer here.

Reports from other towns of the valley said people were not exhibiting much enthusiasm in shopping this year.

“Special checking squads have been formed to ensure that traders do not overcharge and people are able to celebrate the Eid without any scarcity of essential commodities,” an official said.

As the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, the state government declared a public holiday.

“Despite being a public holiday, all branches of our bank are open today to enable people to withdraw cash on the eve of Eid,” said an official of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank.

The Jammu and Kashmir Bank is the largest bank in the state with around 400 branches.

The separatist Hurriyat group headed by Syed Ali Geelani has asked people to celebrate an austere Eid and not to indulge in wasteful expenditure in the wake of the 69 deaths in clashes between security forces and protesters since June 11.

Geelani continues to remain under arrest after he was shifted from his uptown Hyderpora residence in Srinagar to the Humhama police station in central Badgam district Wednesday.