A high-level meeting on Jammu and Kashmir was held on Monday at the Union Home Ministry. The meeting was being chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah while National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and senior Intelligence Bureau officials were also present. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir was reviewed at the meeting. The meeting came as the government on Monday reopened schools and government offices in the Kashmir Valley, further easing restrictions, imposed ahead of the revocation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories. Reports from the Valley said while teachers reported to work in many schools, only a few students were seen attending the classes. That is understandable after two weeks of restrictions in the state in view of the big decisions on Jammu and Kashmir by the Union government. Schools and government offices reopened even as security forces continued to be deployed across the state to maintain law and order. While officials said necessary arrangements had been made to facilitate reopening of 190 primary schools in Srinagar, reports said all private schools continued to remain shut for the 15th consecutive day today. “There is so much uncertainty in the situation that sending kids to school at this stage is out of the question,” Farooq Ahmad Dar, a parent, said, as per a report. “There is no relaxation in restrictions in Pattan, Palhalan, Singhpora, Baramulla and Sopore towns. Primary schools in the rest of the district are open. We are collecting details about the number of students who have reported at their respective schools,” an official stated. In a related development, security forces removed barricades in Srinagar in areas where calm has prevailed since the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5. Markets in the Valley also remained closed while public transport too stayed off roads. However, the number of private vehicles seen plying on Srinagar’s roads has increased in view of the restrictions being eased. Over the weekend, the government gradually made telephone exchanges operational at 27 centres in the Kashmir Valley but snapped them in one of them after reports that the landline phones were being misused to spread propaganda.
