JK: Raksha Bandhan celebrated amid bandh

{image-j&k_16082008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Jammu, Aug 16: The festival of love, cementing brother-sister ties, 'Raksha Bandhan' was on Saturday, Aug 16 celebrated with lots of fun and fervor even as the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir observed complete shut down for the consecutive 25th day on the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) land issue. The shutters remained down in the entire temple city despite an announcement of curfew relaxation for the day.

''Raksha Bandhan is being celebrated throughout the country with enthusiasm but Jammu is celebrating it with a difference,'' a shopkeeper said adding that the city is observing a complete shutdown for restoration of the land to the SASB and to end the 60-year-long discrimination. Some of the sweet shops remained open till noon while the kite stalls observed a huge rush of customers in the morning.

''Due to the bandh, we could not purchase kites and rolls of thread but as and when the land will be restored to the Shrine Board, it will be a day of celebrations for the people of Jammu,'' Amit Gupta, a bank manager added.

Besides, peaceful protest rallies were also taken out in some of the areas with the participants chanting 'Bam Bam Bhole' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', to celebrate the occasion in the different way.

So far nine people have lost their lives in the ongoing agitation with maximum four in the alleged police firing at Samba.

Meanwile, 'Sangharsh Samiti', a conglomerate of 45 political, religious and social organisations, has extended the Jammu bandh till August 20 as it's demanding restoration of the forest land to the SASB and removal of newly-appointed Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra.

UNI