No children in schools, thin attendance in offices: for the 25th day, life remains disrupted in Kashmir

Srinagar: Normal life remained disrupted across the Kashmir Valley for the 25th consecutive day on Thursday, with markets closed and public transport off the roads. However, some private vehicles could be seen plying in many parts of the city while some roadside vendors also plied their trade, officials said.

The efforts of the state government to open schools up to high school level have not borne fruit as parents continued to keep the children at home due to apprehensions about their safety.

While landline telephone services have resumed in many parts of the valley, mobile telephone services and all Internet services continue to remain suspended since 5 August after the Centre’s move to abrogate Article 370, that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcate the state into two union territories.

Most of the top level and second rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody while mainstream leaders including three former chief ministers — Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti — have also been either detained or placed under house arrest.