Police persuade Lal Chowk businessmen to resume trade

Srinagar: Twenty-two days on, and the marketplaces in Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir Valley still remain shut. Even in areas where security restrictions were lifted in a phased manner about a week ago, only few shops — mainly groceries and pharmacies — are now open, selectively and infrequently. More private cars, however, could be seen playing on select roads of the Valley on Monday.

There is no call for a shutdown from any separatist or mainstream leader or party. Worried over the spontaneous “strike” over the abrogation of J&K’s special status under Article 370, the authorities are now using both carrot and stick to ensure that the Valley’s main marketplaces are open. The thrust area of their efforts is Srinagar’s historic city centre, the Lal Chowk.

Over the weekend, a senior police official visited the Makkah market, a flea market in the Lal Chowk area, to meet a group of vendors to persuade them to return to work. The official promised them registration of their kiosks with the concerned department “within four days”, besides some other incentives. Iqbal Ahmed (named changed), a vendor, said he and others were earlier offered cash assistance by another official to “compensate” for the losses suffered by them due to the lockdown if they resume work.