After remaining indoors for about 76 hours, the people in predominantly Muslim Kashmir Valley cities and towns thronged mosques and other places of worship on Friday evening to offer congregational prayers to mark Meraj al-Aalam, Prophet Muhammad’s ascension to the Heaven.
The stride out came soon after Union home secretary G.K Pillai appeared on television to announce curfew has been lifted from the Kashmir Valley from Friday evening onwards. “Curfew has been relaxed in wake of a festival at Hazratbal shrine. Relaxation will continue till Saturday evening,” he told Doordarshan.
[A report from northwestern town of Baramulla said that one person was injured when police opened fire to quell a stone throwing mob on Friday afternoon. At Kakapora, about 25-km south of here, 20 persons, including 12 policemen were injured in police firing and mob violence]
As has been claimed officially here, the decision to lift curfew was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister Omar Abdullah earlier during the day, but was made public by the Union home secretary first. While lifting of curfew temporarily for the religious event was a probability as no government in Jammu and Kashmir can without preparing itself for the consequences afford to stop the people from attending the rituals — the biggest congregation is always held at Srinagar’s Hazratbal shrine — the Valley’s Grand Mufti Bashiruddin tried to steal the thunder by making an appeal to the government to relax curfew, at least, for Meraj al-Aalam night. He also appealed to people to perform religious duties peacefully.
However, the government has undoubtedly taken a risk also by lifting the curfew. Hurriyat Conference faction headed by jailed separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has already asked the people to march towards Hazratbal shrine on Friday evening for night prayers and hold protests throughout the Valley and offer Qanoot-e-Nazilla prayers in each congressional prayer on Saturday. It had also said on Thursday that whenever curfew is lifted or even relaxed in any of the areas people should come out on streets and “continue with peaceful sit-ins.” The conglomerate faction had earlier asked for protests on July 7 and 8 but curfew and other security restrictions imposed on major towns of the Valley including Srinagar thwarted the plan.
However, reports from various parts of Srinagar said that police and CRPF were stopping people from coming out of their homes at some places, mainly in downtown, on the plea they had not received any orders from their seniors that curfew has been lifted or ever relaxed. At Batamalloo, a Srinagar suburb, where three persons were killed in security forces’ firings and beating on Tuesday curfew has been re-imposed after protests were held, reports said.
While people were looking ahead to curfew relaxation, weekly congregational midday prayers could not be held at Srinagar’s Grand Mosque.