SRINAGAR: Kashmir limped back to normalcy on Tuesday after a 48-hour shutdown that brought life to a standstill across the scenic Valley and also in the Chenab and Pirpanjal regions of the Jammu and Kashmir.
The strike called by an alliance of separatist leaders was to resent alleged attempts aimed at tinkering with the special status of the State particularly seeking nullifying of Article 35A of the Constitution. The provision gives the State Legislature a carte blanche to decide who are “permanent residents” of the state and confer on them special rights and privileges in public sector jobs, acquisition of property in J&K, scholarships, and other public aid and welfare.
However, a series of petitions have been filed in Supreme Court including by an RSS affiliate NGO “We, the Citizens” on grounds that Article 35A was illegally added to the Constitution of India. The apex court which was to resume hearing in the case deferred it by three weeks on Monday as one of the members on the three-judge bench, was absent.
As normal life resumed in Srinagar on Tuesday after remaining crippled for two days, the city saw the arrival of Kenneth I. Juster, the US ambassador to India. He is on a familiarisation trip, said an official.
Ambassador Juster, who is being accompanied by Alex LeFevre, political officer and A. Sukesh, senior political specialist at the US embassy in New Delhi met governor N. N. Vohra at the Raj Bhavan. He also had a separate meeting with former chief minister and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah at his residence.
