Miseries Of IOK People Continue Due To Lockdown

In occupied Kashmir, the miseries of the residents of the Kashmir Valley continued unabated as they remained besieged on 146th consecutive day, today.

As restrictions under Section 144 remain enforced amid deployment of thousands of Indian troops, the people of the Valley are cut off from their immediate surroundings and the entire world due to ban on internet, text messaging and prepaid mobile services. The harshest cold weather has added to the woes of the besieged people as they couldn’t stock essential commodities for the winter season. As per a centuries-old practice, usually the inhabitants of the Valley used to store food stuff and firewood in abundance for the winter as the Srinagar-Jammu Highway – the only surface link of the region with the rest of the world – remains mostly closed due to snowfall and rains in the months of December and January. However, this time around, they could not do so due to military lockdown which is in force since 5th August.

The students and businesses are the worst sufferers of continued suspension of the internet services since 5th August, this year. Hundreds of students, who aspire to appear in various competitive examinations, have to make frequent visits to the internet kiosks set up in offices of deputy commissioners of some districts. However, these facilitation centres are not enough to cater to a huge number of students and job aspirants who have to fill the forms online.

On the other hand, the occupation authorities had pressed into service drones to keep a close vigil during Friday prayers in Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid, yesterday. Indian troops and police personnel were deployed in large numbers outside the mosque to prevent anti-India demonstrations.