An indefinite curfew was clamped across the Kashmir valley on Sunday in order to prevent separatists from organising the much-publicised ‘Azadi’ march to Lal Chowk on Monday.

This is the third time since August that the Government has imposed a curfew in the Valley to prevent separatist processions. A similar procession was halted on August 25 with a Valley-wide curfew.

Sources revealed that thousands of people were expected to gather in the city centre for the sit-in and separatists had already organised community langars for them.

The Government, however, said it was ready to use force in order to stop the march.

Home Commissioner, J-K, Anil Goswami, in a telecast on Doordarshan, appealed to the people to cooperate fully with the authorities.

“If you violate curfew, security forces will respond,” Goswami also warned.

Separatist activists, including JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik along with some second-rung leaders, were taken into preventive custody on Saturday with the arrests continuing late into the night. Chairman of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest, while the head of the hardline faction Syed Ali Shah Geelani was admitted to hospital.

A strict security arrangement is in place across Kashmir, especially in Srinagar city, where iron blockades have been erected in most of the lanes and bylanes.

In addition, thousands of J-K police personnel and 60 CRPF battalions, including three women companies, have been deployed.

Though the first day of curfew passed peacefully, there are apprehensions of violence on Monday.