Panic, fear engulf Valley

SRINAGAR: Friday passed as another day of chaos and confusion in Kashmir Valley. By the evening the disquiet had only swelled for varied reasons- some of these being real and others perceived.

The local population has been seized by a panic of fear amid arrival of additional troops and the issuance of a series of contingency orders by the government and other official agencies, the latest being the advisory from the state’s home department asking tourists and Amarnath pilgrims to leave the Valley in view of imminent “terror attacks.”

The noise from IAF transport aircrafts bringing in Central armed police and paramilitary reinforcements gave sleepless nights to many people in and around Srinagar Wednesday and Thursday.

On Friday, many people of the Valley were seen hoarding food and gasoline. Following the “advisory” to tourists and Amarnath pilgrims, the marketplaces were flooded by panic buyers and within a few hours the shelves in shops, particularly groceries at places, were stripped of essentials.

Many ATMs in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley have run out of cash as people also went for panic withdrawals in anticipation of prolonged curfews and violence.

The sense of panic has increased by some reports emanating from Delhi which talked about government’s plan to repeal Article 35A through a Presidential order. At the local level, rumours and speculations that have engulfed the Valley rather entire state over past few days purport that the security forces are launching a major operation against militants and their over-ground workers as well as the separatist political leadership. Talk of a major offensive by Army and Air Force across the LoC is also there. Earlier during the day on Friday, media reports emanating from Delhi had said that the Centre has begun to move 25,000 to 28,000 more troops to J&K.

According to these reports, these are in addition to approximately 10,000 troops who be rushed in the restive state earlier this week.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah while referring to the reports that Army and IAF have been put on high operational alert “in view of the ongoing situation in Kashmir Valley, tweeted, “What ‘ongoing situation’ in Kashmir would require the Army AND the Air Force to be put on alert? This isn’t about 35A or delimitation. This sort of alert, if actually issued, woul be about something very different’.