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Curfew continues on 13th day in IOK

Curfew continues on 13th day in IOK
August 17, 2019

SRINAGAR (92 News) – In occupied Kashmir, the curfew and communication blackout continues on the 13th consecutive day, on Saturday, as internet and telephone links are snapped and media is gagged since August 5.

The Indian government had snapped television, telephone and internet links to prevent demonstrations against its decision of revoking Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. India had revoked Article 370 on Monday (August 5). Before that, the occupation authorities had clamped an unprecedented communications blackout on the territory and arrested many political leaders.

Meanwhile, the Indian authorities continue to clamp curfew and other restrictions across occupied Kashmir by converting it into a military garrison and a big concentration camp by deploying Indian troops and police personnel in every nook and corner of the territory.

With Internet services and telephone lines snapped across occupied Kashmir, there is no contact of the external world with the residents of the territory. Local newspaper even failed to update their online editions since the night of August 04. Majority of newspapers could also not be printed during all these days due to curfew and other restrictions.

Almost all Hurriyat leaders, including Syed Ali Gilani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have been put under house arrest or in jails.

Due to severe blockade, the people of the Kashmir valley are facing acute shortage of essential commodities including baby food and life-saving medicines.

On the other hand, Indian authorities stopped their journalists, who visited occupied valley, to share photos and videos of innocent Kashmiris during worse situation of curfew. The journalists spent five days in Srinagar, Sopore, Bandipora, Pampore, Shopian and Anant Nagar.

‘Kashmir won’t be in India in next 30 years’

MDMK, political party active in Tamil Nadu and other states of India, has said that Kashmir will not be in India when the country will celebrate its 100th year of freedom.

MDMK chief Vaiko in a media interview said, “Kashmir will not be in India when India will celebrate its 100th year of freedom. They (BJP) have smudged Kashmir in mud. I have expressed my view on Kashmir earlier too. I have attacked Congress 30 per cent and BJP 70 per cent on the Kashmir issue,” he told reporters.

Vaiko also said that his party will be organising day-long celebrations to mark the 110th birth anniversary of late chief minister and DMK founder CN Annadurai, popularly known as ‘Anna’.

“We are going to hold Anna birthday celebrations next month so we planned to have a public meeting celebration. Today I came to see how to construct the stage and viewed the ground,” he said. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam popularly known as MDMK was established in 1994.