The meeting decided that a total of 100 companies would be deployed for the yatra. According to sources, Chidambaram has also agreed to major demand of Omar Abdullah for reducing the visibility of paramilitary forces form Srinagar City and other districts of the Kashmir, which are militancy free.

Sources said that officers of police and civil administration have been tasked to identify the areas all across Kashmir, starting from Srinagar City. Sources said in addition to withdrawal of paramilitary force bunkers from Srinagar city and other districts of the Valley, a decision was also taken for a phase wise review of occupation of government buildings and hotels by the paramilitary forces in Kashmir.

The May 21
As usual massive police deployments and restrictions on public movement marked the May 21 in Kashmir. In the old city in Srinagar a number of drop gates had emerged overnight and at a few places concertina wire barricades were laid. Certain uptown areas also witnessed increased deployments.

While the valley shut down on the separatist leaders’ call, the very leaders were put under house arrest. The authorities imposed the restrictions to prevent a gathering by the moderate separatists to remember assassinated cleric Molvi Farooq and Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone.

Life across Kashmir was crippled as schools remained locked, commercial establishment were closed and most of the city road deserted. At least in one area of city police had to use force to quell a gathering that came on the roads in protest against putting Mirwaiz Umer Farooq under house arrest.

In the morning, officials claimed, a team of officers led by District Magistrate had visited Mirwaiz’s Nigeen house for a meeting but the cleric is reported to have refused them an audience. Officials said the idea was to discuss the modalities for the march but the plain denial left no option but to “impose restrictions” to avoid “any breach of peace”.

Mirwaiz, reacting to the restrictions imposed by the authorities, said, it will not help the government to trample upon the rights of the people. “A peaceful procession cannot be a reason for breach of peace,” Mirwaiz said

However, Mirwaiz was allowed to travel to Langate in Kupwara district on My 22, where he addressed a rally organized by Peoples’ Conference, another Hurriyat constituent, to remember its founder Abdul Gani Lone.

Lone was assassinated in one of the functions in Eidgah Srinagar that was organized by Hurriyat in memory of Molvi Farooq. Since both of them were assassinated on the same day, the Hurriyat is observing May 21 as martyrs’ day and sponsors a strike and a series of seminars and other related events on the day.

The Bus CONTROVERSY
The state government claims that High Court has barred plying of big busses in Srinagar. And a former Chief Justice of the High Court contests the claims. The state government has landed into a controversy by renting out buses it received under the JNNURM- Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission.

Newspaper reports quoted Justice (R) Bashir Ahmad Khan as saying: “The (transport) minister either is ignorant of the High Court orders or is being deliberately misled by his officers. Fact of the matter is that there is no such High Court order banning the passenger buses. The ban relates only to trucks, Army vehicles that too for the day time. It must be made clear that any false attribution to the High Court orders amounts to contempt of Court.”

Earlier Transport Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon had said that buses had been rented out to the Army and also that big passenger vehicles could not ply due to a High Court order. Justice Khan himself was heading the bench that passed the order banning movement of a few heavy non-passenger vehicles during daytime.

The busses have been given to the state Government under JNNURM scheme and hence cannot be used for earning profit. The Government of India had provided 150 buses to the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) for streamlining the traffic congestion and for convenience of the local people; however the buses meant for the Srinagar were rented out to Army for transportation of soldiers.

These beautiful buses are designed for city roads. Out of 75 buses, 25 of them are 19 seater buses and the rest are 50 seater buses. Srinagar already faces a dearth of passenger vehicles at the peak of tourist season and the unavailability of big passenger vehicles is already causing distress to the commuters.


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