Life it towards the normalcy after a long phase in Srinagar and all other major towns of the Valley as people thronged markets, banks and workplaces. In various parts of the state educational institutes opened normally and situation is towards normalcy.
Even markets which usually remain closed on Sunday, remained open and educational institutions opened normally. Apart from these, as scores of school buses carrying children started dotting the roads in the morning. Parents eagerly waited at bus stops to see their children off to school.
Interestingly, to make up for time lost because of the disturbed law and order situation during the last over one month, some private schools have decided to keep their institutions open on Sundays too.
However separatists have been issuing schedules of protests on a weekly basis, asking people to observe shutdowns.
The calendar of protests is issued by the united coordination committee of various separatist groups called the Muttahida Majlis-e-Mushawarat (MMM). The separatists had also closed ranks during the summer unrest of 2010, for issuing protest calendars.
In the wake of Afzal Guru's hanging Feb 9, separatist groups have launched a campaign to mount pressure on the government to press for the return of the mortal remains of Guru to his family in Kashmir. Guru was buried in Tihar Central Jail.
A marked difference, however, between the protests of 2010 and now, is that shutdown calls these days are restricted to just one day a week.
In 2010, continuous and uninterrupted shutdowns during the summer months had finally generated a backlash among the people.
(With inputs from IANS)
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