Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 2: As there is no sign of ebbing of 25-day long unrest, the business and transport hours have changed in Kashmir valley with shopkeepers throwing their shops open in the morning and night hours and vehicles hitting the streets during the same time.
Due to unprecedented curfew, restrictions, shutdown and violent protests since July 9 after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzzafar Wani, all kinds of commercial and transport activities have come to a halt across Kashmir.
However, the shops selling essential commodities open soon after pre-dawn prayers till 7 am in curfew-bound areas and 8.30 am in non-curfew areas across Valley.
Much to the relief of business community, the separatists who issue protest calendars to sustain the ongoing agitation have relaxed the shutdown from 6 pm.
The relaxation after 6 pm coincides with the lifting of curfew and restrictions by security forces and as a result the shops in most parts of city including Lal Chowk here were seen open in last two days. The old city areas, however, remained locked in the evening.
General Secretary of Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), Bashir Ahmad Kongposh, said the opening up of shops post-six in the evening is “symbolic rather than economic”. “Right now, we haven’t kept the concept of economy in our minds. It’s all symbolic. However, the relaxation brings relief to people as they buy essential commodities without any disturbance,” he said.
Asked why shops in old city areas here don’t open despite relaxation, he said that today they called upon moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the matter was taken up with him. “Besides other issues, this matter was also discussed and it seems there was some communication gap and that has been sorted out now. I hope the shops in old city will open up now as well,” said Kongposh.
Apart from shops, the private vehicles hit the streets in city and elsewhere in morning and evening hours till late night while huge rush of pedestrians is also witnessed. However, the public transport and auto-rickshaws continue to be off the roads. The traffic on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway plies after 10 pm till around 4 am on daily basis.
A cab driver said it is safe for them to ply their vehicles along Srinagar-Jammu NH in nocturnal hours instead of day hours. “Two things: neither there are any protests in the night hours nor any presence of security forces enforcing curfew. The Highway right from Pantha Chowk to Qazigund is secure in the nocturnal hours and we don’t face any inconvenience,” he said, preferring not to be named.
In wake of unrest, hundreds of vehicles include that of Amarnath pilgrims to and from Jammu ply on the Highway without any interruption. A tea-stall owner near restive town of Pampore along the Highway said that he opens his shop at 11 pm and closes at 3.30 am. “During this time, scores of passengers and truckers sip tea in my shop because they leave and come in night hours. Several other shops along the Highway remain open throughout the night and it is safe,” he added.
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