No cellular shutdown, no barricades in Valley
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar Aug 16: After over three decades, thousands of Kashmiris thronged Bakshi Stadium here yesterday to participate in the Independence Day celebrations as authorities put no restrictions on the movement of people in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir with no security barricades.
Srinagar and most of the towns in Kashmir used to present a garrison look with iron barricades and concertina wire blocking the roads and thousands of gun-toting security men guarding the streets across the Valley but yesterday to the pleasant surprise of the people here all this was done away with.
People in thousands carrying the national flags watched the Independence Day celebrations in jam packed refurbished Bakshi Stadium.
The stadium was closed in 2018 for renovation and upgradation and the parade had shifted to Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Sonawar.
This was the largest gathering at the stadium for an Independence Day function in the last over three decades. People were clicking selfies in the stadium and uploading them on the social media. There were also large queues outside the stadium as people in large numbers had turned up.
In a marked departure, the schools in entire Kashmir were open yesterday for flag hoisting ceremonies and so were the main offices of various departments after over three decades.
In Shopian district which was once the worst hit by militancy, large numbers of school children took part in the celebrations at various schools. The children were seen waving tricolour during these functions.
The functions were held across Kashmir including major and minor towns with people in thousands attending these functions. This was for the first time that such huge gatherings were reported from across the Valley.
Mobile and internet services, which used to be suspended on August 15 and January 26, were also not interrupted for the third year in a row.
Administration had asked people to participate in the function in large numbers. They had said only valid identity proof was required to be carried along.
“It is good that there were no restrictions on the entry into the Bakshi Stadium. There were no barricades and I don’t face any security hassle. I have come to the Stadium for the first time to witness the parade,” said one Ajaz Ahmad of Nowgam.
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