Kashmir: 3 Days After Geelani's Death, Partial Restrictions Continue, Mobile Services Restored

Srinagar: After two days of severe clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir, partial restrictions remained in force on the third day in the region following the death of senior Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Geelani, 92, died at his home in Hyderpora area of Srinagar on Wednesday night, prompting the authorities to block all movement and communication, citing the possibility of protests following the Hurriyat leader’s death.

The government stopped people, including Geelani’s family and friends, from attending his last rites and buried him close to his residence against his will and wishes of his family. The roads leading to his home continued to remain out of bounds for many on Saturday.

On Saturday, train services in the Valley remained suspended for the third day, according to an official, as a ‘precautionary measure’. The service from Baramulla in North Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu caused inconvenience to commuters travelling within the region.

After two days of complete communication blockade, the administration restored mobile phone and broadband services at about 10 p.m on Friday while mobile internet services continued to remain disrupted. Police authorities said they would restore the services after a review of the situation.

Geelani was elected three times as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Sopore constituency as a candidate of the now banned Jamaat e Islami (JeI). He, however, turned against electoral politics after an armed rebellion broke out in the region as an aftermath of alleged rigging in the 1987 Assembly polls. 

His death was widely mourned by his followers in Kashmir and by leaders of Pakistan – which he believed J&K should merge with as a solution to the larger political issue. Many condemned the government’s handling of the nonagenarian’s death and some even termed it an “overreaction”.

In a series of tweets, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti criticised the government accusing them of violating basic human rights.

“The ease with which GOI imposes a complete siege including a communications blackout in Kashmir everytime it anticipates a reaction from people is distressing & deeply insensitive,” she said in one of her tweets.  

“Their misadventure of creating fear & suppression to eliminate a sentiment is counter productive since feelings & emotions don’t dissipate or vanish into thin air. These feelings of betrayal, subjugation & anger are absorbed & passed on from one generation to the next,” she added.