Barely 100 metres from Hyderpora crossing on the Srinagar Airport road, the narrow lane branching into a J&K government girls’ school wears a deserted look.

The main gate of the school is open, but an eerie silence prevails in the area. More than 280 students from neighbouring localities are enrolled in this school, many of them studying in primary classes.

The uptown Parraypora locality of Srinagar, where the school is located, has remained relatively calm compared to the volatile downtown areas of old city – no protests have been reported here.