New Delhi:
Kashmir which has been put under an unprecedented lock down since August 5, the day New Delhi abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw region’s special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories is slowly returning to normalcy. The idea of life coming to a halt in Kashmir is a narrative being driven by separatists. Police said that till mid-September, at least 40 incidents of apple orchard owners, labourers and vehicle operators being beaten up or threatened by the terror groups have been reported.
Restrictions at various places in the Valley have been lifted by and large. Landlines had been activated in the entire Kashmir valley but the number of civilian subscribers was little over 18,000 while nearly 30,000 were government, business establishments, schools, hospitals and hotels.
Farooq Khan, adviser to the Jammu and Kashmir governor, had made it clear earlier that examinations would be held on time. The exams are generally held in last week of October or early November.
The apple trade, which is the lifeline of a majority of people in North Kashmir's Sopore and three districts of South Kashmir, has taken a hit. There is a shortfall of 30,000 tonnes till September. The figures till mid-September in 2018 was 80,000 tonnes and this year, it is a little less than 50,000 tonnes, the officials said.
Army Chief Bipin Rawat addressing the media in Chennai has said, "There is a communication breakdown between terrorists in the Kashmir Valley and their handlers in Pakistan but there is no communication breakdown among people."
(Pictures tweeted by @prasarbharati)
