Five Ways In Which Daily Life In Jammu And Kashmir Has Been Crippled scroll.in

Empty schools, empty government offices, failing healthcare in the Valley. Kashmir was put into lockdown when the Centre on August 5 hollowed out Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and divided the state into two Union Territories. The Centre also revoked Article 35A, which granted certain specific rights, including the right to own land, to permanent residents of the state. As Kashmir enters the 37th day of the clampdown, the rhythms of daily life have been completely altered.

While telephone landlines have started ringing again, calls often do not go through. Mobile and internet connections remain blocked across the Valley. While restrictions on movement have been eased, the Valley is punctuated by security checkpoints. Shops are shut and most public transport is off the roads because of a civil shutdown to protest the government’s decision. Moreover, hundreds of people have been detained, from political leaders to lawyers and businessmen to youth, many of them minors, considered potential stone pelters by the authorities.