Residents stay in as securitymen march out in J-K

An eerie silence descended on the city even as the country celebrated its Independence Day. While the security forces ensured that the day was incident-free, the hartal call by the Hurriyat Conference added to the discomforting quiet. Nothing moved in Srinagar today. Although the day marks a symbolic protest as ‘‘Black Day’’ here and people prefer to stay indoors, the scare created by recent police statements and intelligence agencies reduced parades and flag-hoisting ceremonies to all-VIP affairs.

Pictures from Independence day 2002

In fact, the city sanitisation process had started a few days ago and the authorities had sealed off the Bakshi Stadium, main venue to I-Day celebrations, and intensified searches in and around the complex to ensure a smooth function.

Authorities had upped the security measures and ringed vital government and security installations. Police, CRPF and para-military personnel were seen even as BSF trucks on all roads leading to the stadium only enhanced the grid. Besides, flying squads had been lined up for the job. At vital places, the BSF had placed bunker vehicles to filter irregular movement. Public transport around the stadium was strictly disallowed.

Once again the Army, the BSF, the CRPF and police had realigned a multiple-tier security apparatus around the stadium. While the Army usually takes charge of the outer cover, this time the BSF was put on the job while the internal security rings were brought up by joint teams of police and the CRPF.