Kashmir curfew relaxed for prayers

Kashmiri protesters monitor positions of Indian soldiers from a footbridge Friday in Srinagar, India.
Kashmiri protesters monitor positions of Indian soldiers from a footbridge Friday in Srinagar, India.

NEW DELHI -- A strict curfew in Indian-administered Kashmir in effect for a fifth day was eased Friday to allow residents to pray at mosques, officials said, but some protests still broke out in the disputed region despite thousands of security forces in the streets as tensions remained high with neighboring Pakistan.

The predominantly Muslim area has been under the unprecedented lockdown and near-total communications blackout to prevent unrest and protests after India's Hindu nationalist-led government said Monday that it was revoking Kashmir's special constitutional status and downgrading its statehood.

Thousands of Indian troops were deployed to the area, with more than 500 people arrested.

Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan and is divided between the countries. Rebels have been fighting New Delhi's rule for decades in the Indian-controlled portion, and most Kashmiri residents want either independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Dilbagh Singh, the region's police chief, said residents in its largest city of Srinagar were being allowed to pray at area-specific mosques.

The relaxing of the curfew in Srinagar was temporary, officials said. Friday prayers began at 12:37 p.m. in Srinagar and lasted about 20 minutes. Television images from the city showed small groups praying in mosques.

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"We see a sense of calm and normalcy. There has been no incident of violence," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar told reporters in New Delhi.

In Srinagar's Mochu neighborhood, a group of people trying to start an anti-government protest march threw stones at security forces who tried to stop them, and the paramilitary troops responded by firing tear gas and pellets to disperse the crowd, an Associated Press photographer said. Two people suffered injuries that were not serious, the photographer said.

While people were allowed to offer prayers in their local mosques, the Press Trust of India news agency reported that there would be no Friday congregation at Srinagar's historic Jama Masjid, where thousands of Muslims pray every week. It also has been a center of regular anti-India protests after Friday prayers.

Authorities closely watched for any anti-India protests, which are expected to determine a further easing of restrictions for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, which will be celebrated Monday.

The restrictions on public movement throughout Kashmir have forced people to stay indoors and closed shops and even clinics. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the situation in the region would return to normal gradually.

Residents of Kashmir are developing a daily drill to cope with the indefinite 24-hour curfew.

Reyaz Ahmed, a 35-year-old trader, said he gets up about 5 a.m. and walks a few miles to reach farmers selling fresh vegetables and milk. On the way, he also gets essential groceries and medicines stockpiled by neighborhood shopkeepers and pharmacists inside their homes.

The routine has one important element: He must be back by 6.

Shortly after dawn, police and paramilitary soldiers, in full riot gear and armed with automatic rifles, swiftly occupy the roads and streets in Srinagar and its old quarters where Ahmed lives. Government forces set up checkpoints and lay steel barricades and razor wire at all entry and exit points in the urban heart of anti-India protests and clashes.

"Then the day goes in watching television, some sleep and waiting for the evening when soldiers withdraw from the streets," Ahmed said.

The status of Kashmir has been a key dispute between Pakistan and India since the two split after the end of British colonial rule in 1947. They each control part of Kashmir and have fought two wars over their rival claims. Initially, the anti-India movement in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir was largely peaceful, but after a series of political blunders, broken promises and a crackdown on dissent, Kashmiris launched a full-blown armed revolt in 1989.

Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, was to meet Friday with Chinese leaders in Beijing as part of efforts to pressure India to reverse its decisions on Kashmir. Before leaving for Beijing, he said he would apprise Islamabad's "trusted friend" about the situation.

Pakistan says it is considering a proposal to approach the International Court of Justice over India's action. It also has downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi, expelled the Indian ambassador and suspended trade and train services with India.

Information for this article was contributed by Aijaz Hussain of The Associated Press.

A Section on 08/10/2019

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