Four months after revocation of Article 370, normalcy returns to Kashmir Valley

Srinagar: Barring the clampdown on internet services, normalcy is slowly returning to the Kashmir Valley almost four months after the Centre announced abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Shops, schools and business establishments opened on Tuesday morning and markets remained open till around 1 PM, in comparison to a few weeks earlier when shops would down their shutters much before noon, officials said.

As per the 'new normal', students have started going to schools though without wearing uniforms. Schools have asked their pupils to attend classes in casual clothes for security reasons. Officials said that the situation across the Valley has remained peaceful with no untoward incident being reported from anywhere.

However, there has been no official word on the restoration of internet services which were snapped from all platforms on August 5 when Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.

Besides severely affecting local businesses and education of the region's youth, the working of journalists has been hampered due to lack of internet services.

"Given the importance of internet in day to day life, especially for a working journalist, the flow of information has been severely affected. It is akin to oxygen supply being choked for an asthma patient," senior journalist Nazir Masoodi said.