Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 16: Curfew continued in Kishtwar town and its outskirts for eighth consecutive day today without any relaxation while it has been lifted in all other seven districts, where it was imposed on August 10 and 11 in the aftermath of Kishtwar violence. Night curfew, however, continued in sensitive Bhaderwah town of Doda district as a precautionary measure.
Official sources said no relaxation was given in curfew on the occasion of Independence Day yesterday as well as today in Kishtwar town.
Independence day function was held at helipad in Kishtwar town where Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir unfurled the tricolor and took salute in the presence of civil and police administration.
Though no untoward incident was reported from any part of Kishtwar town, authorities decided against any relaxation in curfew today in view of Friday when a large number of people were expected to gather for the prayers.
The people from Kishtwar complained that they were facing acute shortage of essential commodities including ration supply in view of indefinite curfew for the past eight days. They said the authorities should relax curfew to help them purchase essential items like ration, medicines, vegetables etc.
Authorities were afraid that in the absence of any meeting between the two communities for patch up, the trouble could flare up during curfew relaxation as the miscreants had caused huge damage to the property of minorities on the day of Eid festival.
The minorities were not ready for any meeting either with police or civil administration or with majority community saying they would meet only with an all party delegation from the State or a Central team as they wanted to show them the brazen loot of their shops, business establishments and other property by the miscreants of majority community on August 9.
They said they were not ready to meet the local officials of civil or police administration, some of whom were directly responsible for the incidents of arson and violence as they gave free hand to the miscreants by not taking any action against them.
“The entire loot and arson took place in the presence of administration and they allowed the miscreants to do it. In such a scenario, there was no fun of any meeting with such administration,” they added.
Curfew was lifted from all seven districts of Jammu region last night, where it had been imposed after Kishtwar violence. However, as a precautionary measure, authorities continued night curfew in Bhaderwah town of Doda district.
Sources said police has been asked to maintain strict vigil on the miscreants in the entire Jammu region.
Army remained deployed in Kishtwar district while it was withdrawn from most of the other areas. Army had been called out on August 10 night in most of the places to assist police and para-military forces in maintenance of law and order.
The State Cabinet today sanctioned Rs 5 crore for disbursement of ex-gratia relief to the victims of riots and law and order disturbances in Jammu province including Kishtwar districts where houses/shops were damaged or gutted and looted in the incidents of violence.
Meanwhile, Excelsior continued to received emails from the pilgrims of Machail Mata Ji, who had gone to the holy shrine by air demanding that the helicopter agency should be directed by the Government to lift them back.
An email received from Sandeep said they had been stranded at Gulabgarh due to failure of the administration as the helicopter agency was not lifting them back from the shrine area.
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