Govt 'iron fist' in Kashmir hits wedding festivities

Deserted roads, soldiers, fifty check-points and fear accompanied him from Srinagar to his bride's house in Baramulla where the ceremony was more of a prayer for a safe return than a celebration.

It was a wedding in conflict and for Baba the routine wedding arrangements had changed to fit in the curfew. For hours this morning, his family was contacting authorities to secure a permission to travel through the restrictions.

“The curfew pass has become even important than me. And for God's sake, it is my wedding,'' he said as soon as the contingent of police and CRPF men asked his cavalcade of five cars to go after half-an-hour of questioning and searches.

"Kashmir has changed,'' he said. "I have never seen such restrictions here''. He said that the wedding had been planned several months ago.

"I didn't even enjoy. There was a lot on my mind all this while,'' he said. "I saw so much of tension and anger here after a long time''.

The lack of mutton hit the Wazwan – the all necessary cuisine offered during Kashmiri weddings. Then the strikes and processions made it difficult for the invitees to reach the wedding venues. And now it is the curfew.

Earlier both the authorities and the separatists would respect the wedding cavalcades and keep it outside all restrictions. But like everything else, this latest shift in situation has even impacted this festive occasion in people's lives in Kashmir.

Baba's journey turned into an ordeal when the soldiers refused to accept the validity of the curfew passes, saying they have orders not to allow anybody on the roads today.

The sudden burst of separatist emotion since August 11, when a large procession marched along the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road ended in the tragic killing of 12 people in police and CRPF firing, was fast getting out of the Government control. And the fear of losing the official writ on the streets of Kashmir had finally manifested into an “iron fist” approach.

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