security in Srinagar and Jammu

annetabo

Hello,

I've planned to go to Ladakh passing by Jammu and Srinagar. I would like to know if any of you where there in the past week, how is the situation there ? I read that some areas of Srinagar are under curfew.

Thank you for any information.

ozman

I would change my plan or at least delay it for wk, also even if the situation was normal can u imagine thousands of people going for yatra by Sonamerg it would be little difficult.

Yogesh Sarkar

Few of my friends just came back from Srinagar while returning from Ladakh, one of the car was attacked by stones near Srinagar, thankfully there was only broken glass etc. and no real injuries to the occupants. Another biker was hit on the helmet with a stone, thankfully stone wasn't too large and helmet managed to protect his head.

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annetabo

Thank you Ozman, thank you Yogesh Sarkar.
WHat is Somamerg any way ...?

machadinha

I think what is meant is the Sonmarg Yatra (pilgrimage). Related to (or identical with?) the Amarnath Yatra I believe. You can search around for it, maybe some others can fill it in.

Both will be known by various spellings.

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annetabo

thank you for this precision, machadinha.

Anyone coming back from Kasmir ?

motyafka

hello, when are you going to leh?

annetabo

I've planned to leave Delhi next Tuesady. So i guess i'll reach Leh some days-a week after.

motyafka

and one more question do you go by bus, right?I think it'll take plane from delhi to srinagfr on 7-th and then I want to go to Lamajura bu bus or taxi..

annetabo

I'd planned to go to Jammu by train and then all the rest (Srinagar-Leh) by bus. But now, all those plans may be changed, and the Manali road be the must ?

ozman

sorry I that u knew about sonamerg well there are two routs to go for Siri Amarnath yatra, one through Pahalgam which takes 3days on foot and other through Sonamerg, Baltal which is shorter rout 1 or 2 day walking, the point is, same road takes u to ladakh, but now its not viable because situation in Jammu is bad also, people going for yatra are provided full protection and right of way, but people not registered for yatra are on their own, so stick with Manali rout which I don't know anything about, good luck.

machadinha

So what exactly is going on in Srinagar/J&K at this precise moment? (I assume we all know more-or-less about the backgrounds, don't bother.)

I'm sure it can be found scouring the usual news sites, but if someone can give a (preferably non-slanted and factual) round-up, please do.

EDIT: A quick first look around this forum throws up this: http://www.indiamike.com/india/jammu...otests-t57609/

Always a decent link for local news sources: http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/india.htm

PeakXV

I think it's about that 'land transfer' issue of which I don't understand any of it ....but here it is anyway:


SRINAGAR: Kashmir Valley observed a complete shutdown on the seventh consecutive day in protest against the transfer of land to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB). Demonstrations were reported from various areas; one rally was led by Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

The death toll in the violence in the past five days has gone up to four, with one person dying of injuries in hospital on Sunday.

As the authorities imposed “undeclared curfew” with stringent security measures, the level of protests came down but the Mirwaiz led a protest in downtown and demanded the revocation of the land order. He said a sea of people would throng the city on Tuesday in response to a “Srinagar Chalo” call by the Action Committee on Land Transfer (ACALT).

Read the rest of The Hindu article here.

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machadinha

Hm, yes. The Amarnath Caves are a decidedly and major Hindu place of pilgrimage I believe, while Hurriyat is a decidedly Muslim separatist Kashmiri alliance.

So from this layman's quick perspective, I guess it's not hard to see how any land transfer issues there would have inspired frictions. That other thread mentions local elections before this coming November, which could likely serve as a more basic and underlying cause of tension.

I just wasn't aware things were flaring up there again, but then one can hardly keep track of everything. A shame, as reports had been mildly favorable for the past couple of years.

edwardseco

The story that apparently went around was that it would be a return of Hindu residents to the "pure" Muslim state defacto created in the last couple of decades. Didn't sound like a lot of land to put a settlement but where is rationality in the dark corners of the collective mind..