500 injured, life is back to normal in Kashmir

Srinagar, Jul 2: Life returned to normal in the Kashmir valley after 8-day spontaenous strike, massive demonstrations and clashes in protest against the diversion of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) that left five people dead and over 500 wounded.

Shops and other business establishments reopened this morning in all parts of the valley, including civil lines, which remained main focus of attention during the past 8 days.

The Action Committee Against Land Transfer (ACLT), which was heading the agitation against land transfer, last evening appealed to the people to resume the normal activities after the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad cancelled the diversion of land to SASB order.

Transport on all routes was normal and employees of government offices, public undertakings, banks and other private firms were back on duty after more than a week.

Educational institutions registered a normal attendance.

However, the Kashmir University and State Board of School Education have postponed their examinations till tomorrow.

Trouble started on June 24 when a news appeared in the newspaper quoting a spokesman of the SASB that government had allotted 800 kanals of land to it, for construction of structures for the pilgrims.

People across the valley took to streets and clashed with the police demanding cancellation of the land diversion order.

Police had to fire, burst teargas shells and resort to lathicharge to control the situation in which five people were killed and more than 500, including security personnel, injured.

This was for the first time after early nineties that people in such a large numbers took to streets.

UNI