While we’ve often seen stone-pelters in pictures, barely anyone has talked to them to understand their demands. Recently, WION correspondent Anchal Vohra caught up with some stone-pelters who dot the highways in the Kashmir. When Vohra asked one of the stone-pelters why he was pelting stones instead of being in school, one young man said: “In order to get something, we need to lose something.” Another one added, that he wanted Kashmir to be part of Pakistan because: “I want Pakistani democracy because it is the best democracy in the world.”

When Vohra asks, where he got that information, the youth was at a loss for words. Another stone pelter reiterated a demand for an Islamic state that followed Sharia law which would include bans on several things like alcohol shops.

Watch the video on WION by clicking here.

Separatist sponsored strike continue in Kashmir

Normal life remained affected in Kashmir for the 88th consecutive day due to the separatist-sponsored strike, but the signs of fatigue from the nearly three-month long unrest were visible as more people are resuming their day-to-day activities.

Many street vendors and hand cart vendors have set up their stalls along the TRC Chowk-Batamaloo axis in the city, selling fruits, vegetables, fresh juice, tea and snacks at many places and continue with their business activities throughout the day, officials said.

They said some shopkeepers have also opened their shops partially in the civil lines areas of the summer capital Srinagar and at few areas in the outskirts of the city.

There has been a significant increase in the movement of private and public transport, except buses, in uptown city including in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk, the officials said.

They said the authorities have not put curbs on the movement of people anywhere in the Valley.

The officials, however, said security forces have been deployed at some places, including market places, to instil a sense of security among the people so that they can carry out their day-to-day activities without fear.

The situation in Kashmir is improving with each day, they said.

However, life in downtown city and other parts of the Valley, including district headquarters and towns, remained affected for the 88th straight day due to the shutdown call of the separatists,

Most of the shops and business establishments in these areas were shut.

While students across the Valley were not attending schools due to the strike, the government educational institutions at most places were open and teachers were attending their duties, the officials said.

The attendance in other government offices and banks has also considerably improved, they said.

As many as 83 persons, including two cops, have been killed and thousands of others injured in clashes between protestors and security forces since unrest began a day after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8.

(With PTI inputs)