SRINAGAR—Curfew was imposed on Sunday by Indian security forces in most parts of Kashmir Valley to foil Kashmiris’ plans to observe the first martyrdom day of Mohd Afzal Guru, who was a illegitimately hanged by India. Simultaneously, the martyrdom of Bhat, founder of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Force (JKLF), is being observed—he was hanged 20 years ago.
Guru was hanged and buried inside Delhi’s Tihar jail on February 9 of last year. Various Kashmiri groups which are struggling for freedom of Kashmir, have issued a call for a three-day shutdown till February 11, which marks the Martyrdom day of Mohd Maqbool Bhat.
Bhat was also buried inside Tihar Jai.
Authorities have detained several top Kashmiri freedom fighters ahead of the death anniversaries.
Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who returned home to the Valley yesterday from Delhi, was put under house arrest soon after his arrival here.
JKLF chairman Mohd Yasin Malik, who had announced that he would hold a protest at the historic Lal Chowk, has gone underground to avoid being taken into preventive custody.
Barring Handwara in north Kashmir, all major towns in the Valley have been put under security restrictions with heavy deployment of CRPF and police personnel aimed at thwarting any protests, official sources said.
Section 144 of CRPC, which bans assembly of four or more persons, has been imposed in several districts, including Srinagar, sources said, adding that the situation has so far been peaceful with there being no reports of any untoward incidents in the Valley.
Mobile Internet services, too, were cut in the Valley today as part of the precautionary measures.
Internet services on mobile phones and plug-in devices were suspended early this morning, although broadband connections through landline phones were functioning as usual.
There was no official explanation for the move, but sources said the services may have been temporarily withdrawn to prevent their use for the spreading of so-called “rumours”.
All roads leading to Lal Chowk have been sealed and the public is not being allowed to proceed towards the area.
It is pertinent to mention that like Sikhs, Kashmiris are also the victims of brutality of India’s Hindu Fascist state and struggling for the freedom of their homeland i.e. Kashmir valley as Sikhs for their homeland Punjab.
