Even as the Government continues to claim that nothing serious was going to happen and people should maintain calm, but the back to back official orders are adding more to the panic and fear prevailing across Kashmir over the past few days.Ever since the order about deployment of additional forces from the Centre was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Kashmir is under the tight grip of fear, witnesses and locals from various places told KNO.The people have been busy in buying lifesaving drugs, filling their vehicles with the petrol, buying vegetables in large quantities amid rumours that either trifurcation of the State was on cards or some big political decision was to be taken by New Delhi. There were rumours that policemen have been asked to deposit their weapons at BB Cant, but this was out rightly rejected by the ADGP law and order Munir Khan, who termed it as “baseless and a rumour.”The security agencies have so far openly admitted that Amarnath Yatra was under threat as there were strong intelligence inputs about militants planning a big strike on the Yatra. This, according to Principal Secretary Home Shaleen Kabra prompted him to issue an advisory asking pilgrims and tourists to curtail their visit and to return home immediately. The order triggered chaos at the airport and at TRC with many tourists smelling something fishy. “We had booked a hotel till August 12, but were asked to leave back. I was desperate to see Gulmarg and other place, but government wants us to move back,” Shruti, a resident of Pune, Maharashtra, while boarding a bus at TRC here, told KNO.She said that other tourists were also under the grip of fear as such an order or advisory is issued in times of war only. Even as Government continues to claim people need not to worry about anything and should maintain calm, back to back orders continued to add more the already prevailing fear.
In the morning, non-local students studying at National Institute of Technology (NIG) Nigeen, were asked to pack their bags and to return to their respective states. Similar order was issued for the studying at Government Polytechnic College, Gojibagh, Srinagar, asking them that the class work will remain suspended till further orders. This added to the chaos forcing the non-local students pack their bags and head to their respective states.In yet another order, the staff at the important Bone and Joints Hospital Srinagar was asked not to leave the station before seeking proper permission from the concerned authorities. All three orders are in possession of the KNO. Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Choudhary told KNO thatdistrict administration didn’t ask NIT students to leave and they did of their own. “We asked them to stay back and will provide security, but they decided to leave,” he said.Talking to reporters here, Governor Satya Pal Malik said that he had no information about anything happening in Kashmir as being spread by some people and political parties. “Everything is normal here,” he said. “Suicide attackers are waiting to cross the LoC and that’s why we asked tourists and pilgrims to leave.”
Meanwhile, United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany have asked its natives who were on Kashmir trip, to return immediately and not to visit Kashmir till further orders.The Centre, however, has preferred to remain silent as neither any top minister nor the PM Narendera Modi has stated anything about the prevailing situation in Kashmir adding more to the fear and apprehensions that something big was going to happen.(KNO)