Situation in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 has been tensed but now, nearly two months after that, the union territory will be open to tourists from Thursday onwards for visit. Earlier, a security advisory had asked people to leave the state due to a terror threat.
Governor Satya Pal Malik on Monday issued a statement and said that the restriction has been lifted on entry of tourists. This was done after a high-level security review meeting.
The government had earlier, called off the annual Amarnath Yatra on August 2, citing “intelligence inputs of terror threats”.
After this, on August 5, the Parliament effectively abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution that accorded special status to the state, and divided it into two union territories.
Apart from many politicians who were detained, the administration had also imposed restrictions on movement, snapped phone and telephone lines and deployed additional troops to prevent any repercussion post the action.
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There has been a continuous backlash that has been going on since then with opposition against the move and saying that the people of the valley are suffering because of the abrogation.
As per official tourism figures, more than half a million people visited the valley in the first seven months of this year. 340,000 religious tourists were also slated to visit the valley for the pilgrimage, which was eventually called off. Just 150 foreign travellers visited Kashmir after August 5.
Over the last one week, the administration has taken some steps to test the uneasy calm in the state as it has come under increasing international scrutiny for the prolonged clampdown that has now lasted 64 days.
The first step was the announcement of the Block Development Council elections in the state.
The Congress, however, has decided to boycott these elections citing the continued detention of political leaders. “The Congress believes in strengthening democratic institutions and it has never shied away from any polls. But today, we are compelled to take a decision to boycott the BDC polls due to the indifferent attitude of the state administration and the continued detention of senior party leaders in the Valley,” J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir said.
This was followed by the permission granted to a National Conference delegation to meet detained leaders Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah.
On Wednesday, the administration re-opened higher secondary schools, colleges and universities. The administration will also release three political detainees on Thursday after making them sign a bond, promising peace and good behaviour.