Peace in Jammu and Kashmir; Locals welcome scrapping of Article 370

There is an uneasy peace and seeming normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir and there is no agitation in the area with people going about their daily routine, a day after the abrogation of Article 370. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is in Srinagar to review the security situation.

Top government sources also said Tuesday that the locals have welcomed the statement by Home Minister Amit Shah that Jammu and Kashmir will become a state again one day at the appropriate time depending on the improvement in the situation and that the government does not want it to remain a union territory forever.

Locals in Srinagar are supportive and feel the change was well planned. They feel sufficiently reassured by statements and actions of Centre, sources added. There was apprehension in some quarters that the huge influx of security forces might mean a crackdown in some areas, but people are relieved since there have been no such move by forces.

There is also a sentiment that local politicians might have had vested interests and took people for a ride with regard to Article 370.

The NSA is coordinating constantly with the security forces deployed in the Valley for tackling both external and internal attempts to disturb the peace on the ground.

Preparation on the ground has been made to counter attempts made by Pakistan to disturb peace through Line of Control (LoC) by initiating ceasefire violations and pushing terrorists in Valley, sources said.

Paramilitary deployments have been put into place to cater for internal disturbances.

The Centre on Monday scrapped Article 370 of the Constitution that conferred special status to Jammu and Kashmir and barred people from the rest of the country from buying property there.

-ANI