Muted Eid celebrations in the Valley amidst partial curfew and August 15 security

• Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, tweeted "Eid Mubarak" wishing for peace and happiness today morning.
  
• But the situation in Jammu and Kashmir remains tense with limited provisions in play.
  
• Students in the Kashmir Valley are also planning on protesting the Eid celebrations organised by the central government.
  

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Indians a happy Eid al-Adha. However, the valley is clearly staying away from celebrations as the mood remains sombre after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir on 5 August.


Kashmiri students have boycotted a lunch invite from the central government to express their protest, according to IANS.

And, in spite of Modis promise that normalcy will return to the valley during the festival, food and ration shops are open only in certain areas. The same applies to ATMs as well.

Nonetheless, the government is trying to ensure that people have round the clock access to basic amenities, like electricity and water, with staff on standby in case there’s a breakdown.

Students protest

Nearly 250 students at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have stated that they will not be attending the festivities organised at the university’s guest house. Other students in the Kashmir Valley have also stated that they will be staying away from any kind of festivities on campus.

Jammu and Kashmir governor, Satya Pal Malik, recently sanctioned ₹1 lakh to organise Eid festivities in the valley. But according to the students at AMU, the money is given to buy their consent.

"We take this as an opportunity to reject Delhi's authoritarianism and drama played in Parliament on August 5," they said in a statement.

Restrictions and Section 144

The Jammu and Kashmir administration had eased the prohibitory orders in Kashmir Valley for the past few days for people to make purchases for Eid.

And, while there have been no reports of violence on Sunday, Section 144 has been reinstated in certain areas. Even in Srinagar, restrictions were reinstated on Sunday afternoon.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs shared that the central government is trying to make sure that there are enough groceries for the people living in the area. Bakeries, poultry and mutton shops will remain open.

Health institutions are also operational and 300 special telephones have been installed for people to get in touch with their relatives.

Even so, a security alert has been issued ahead of Independence Day on August 15.

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