Kashmiris in chains

"ONE of the most aggressive curfews", as it was termed by a Srinagar resident who claimed that the Indian security men were knocking at his door every hour to warn against attempting to come out, might have deterred the people from holding a planned peaceful demonstration at the capital's Red Square on Monday, but such moves, as the history of repressive tactics proves, invariably come a cropper in the ultimate analysis. Flustered by the growing strength of the people's uprising that entered a new phase some three months ago when its leadership decided to switch over to peaceful means of protest, the Indian authorities have imposed a curfew across Held Kashmir in 10 districts, including Srinagar. Metal barricades and barbed wire erected around residential areas, tens of thousands of riot police and soldiers to man them and patrol the streets and loudspeaker-fitted vans warning the citizens of serious consequences if they dared to come out - kept the repressed Kashmiris indoors. Kashmiri leaders, who had made the call for the Monday protest, had either been arrested or put under house arrest. Media has been gagged and TV channels have only been showing films and broadcasting songs.