SRINAGAR: After a month long fasting with longest days of the season, the Eid marked the conclusion of Ramzan. But the disruptions owing to volatile situation led to low-key celebrations.
A day ahead of Eid, a militant attack took place outside the DPS Athwajan. After killing a CRPF man, the militants barged into the DPS that marked the beginning of another tension. This had a huge impact on the situation especially the movement remain curtailed in half of Kashmir towards Srinagar. The operation was over on the eve of Eid when the State Police Chief S P Vaid said the two militants were killed. Nobody knows their identity. Three soldiers were injured by the grenade splinters that their colleagues used to clear the school.
Though Eid, in this part of the Muslim world, has historically remained Hajoom-e-Mumineen, a crowd of the faithful, but the people still needs some celebrations. There were thick crowds in business streets during the morning and later in the evening. But big businesses did little business. Most of the small business was done by the vendors who put up shops on roads and take their malls home in the evening.
There were kids and women. Most of the business, however, took place within the Mohalla shops. And most of it was the routine mutton, bakery, poultry and vegetable.
Authorities had refused permission to the two major Eid congregations, one each at TRC grounds and Radpora. They, however, permitted the main gathering at Eidgah but did not permit Mirwaiz Umer Farooq to make the speech. The tech-savvy cleric, however, used his cell phone to make a brief speech. But well before that the ragda palton had descended on Eidgah. They engaged police and CRPF men for a routine clash for some time.
They eventually left for home after the CRPF gave them a hot chase.
But the clashes were not restricted to Srinagar alone. There were protests almost everywhere. From Shopian to Sopore, there were protests which eventually had a bit of clashes. In south Kashmir Islamabad, the clashes continued for more time than other towns. Qazi Yasir, who led the prayers, in one of the Eidgah’s was seen carrying the poster of rebels. There were instances of young men actually trying to stop police cars.
Curtain fell on the Eid 2017 with a dose of cracker bursting that followed the tear smoke shells. Interestingly, however, Kashmir was boom boom with tear smoke shells making their noise in hyper sensitive areas and the crackers dominating the less sensitive belts.
