For just a day, Valley drowns gunfire echoes

The market is alive with festivities. According to estimates, Kashmir will consume lamb worth Rs 3 to 4 crore at the end of Ramzan. Bakeries have cleaned up their shelves by evening too.

‘‘We know around 4,000 to 5,000 sheep have been brought from outside the Valley for the festival,’’ Health Officer Dr Shafqat said. ‘‘People come out in droves to spend. It looks like everybody is on a mad shopping spree. It’s true but it has a sad reason,’’ says Mohamamd Shafi Mir, a retired government officer. ‘‘There is nothing left in our lives. There is hardly any place to go to entertain. We prefer the safety of our homes and go out only when necessary.”

Ajaz Ahmad, still in his teens, relishes the difference. ‘‘There are so many people out today. When do you see so many people out? They no longer come out but for protests’’.

‘‘It’s a release phenomenon. People live in so much stress they need some respite…a celebration like Id opens a window,’’ says Arshad Hussain, psychiatrist at the Srinagar Psychiatry Hospital.

Id also comes with a silent truce between militants and security forces. There seems to be a brief respite in attacks and the protests against the rape of a woman and her 10-year-old daughter allegedly by an Army officer have come down. ‘‘The protests were becoming difficult to handle. But it seems as if people have put aside everything to celebrate Id,’’ a senior police officer said. ‘‘Otherwise, it was turning into a Manipur like situation’’.

PM Manmohan Singh’s proposed visit and reduction in troops couldn’t have better timing. ‘‘If he (PM) takes his peace effort forward when he comes here, then hopefully (Pakistan PM) Shaukat Aziz too will come with a positive proposal — may be a ceasefire,’’ said Mohammad Rafi, who runs a computer academy.