Flag unfurled in Srinagar under tight security

The Independence Day function in Srinagar was held under tight security on Friday morning, even as a complete general strike crippled life in the Kashmir valley.

Troops and specially trained commandos laid a cordon around the Bakshi stadium and the surrounding areas. All roads were sealed by the troops who had also taken up positions on the rooftops of houses around the stadium. Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, who arrived shrouded in tight security, was escorted to the podium by the state director general of police, Black Cat commandos and troops.

Addressing soldiers and 300 of his supporters who had been brought to Srinagar under tight security in government vehicles, Dr Abdullah appealed to the "misguided youth" to join the mainstream and assured them of "proper rehabilitation". He said the past eight years were "the darkest period of our history. Militancy soaked the state with blood, wounded our hearts and filled our eyes with tears. Hardly any section of the population remained unaffected."

Dr Abdullah claimed that local militants are becoming more inactive after getting disillusioned with Pakistan. But it was still "trying to keep the pot boiling by inducting foreign militants. But we will eliminate them," he promised.

He said while it was a fact that Jammu and Kashmir was part of the Indian Union, the Centre had also made certain commitments and promises "to preserve our distinct identity and autonomous character within the framework of the Constitution." He added that over the years, this autonomy had been eroded and that he was seeking its restoration.

The chief minister said two committees set up by him in this regard are likely to submit their reports shortly. These would be debated in the legislature, taking in views of political parties, and presented to the Centre, he said, adding that he wanted friendly relations with Pakistan. "But they should not think we are weak."

Outside the stadium, a general strike called by various separatist groups, including the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, was in progress. It crippled normal life in the valley and only soldiers walked the streets of Srinagar city.

Shops were closed and traffic off the roads in the city and other towns. In the border town of Kupwara, militants fired rockets at the well-guarded houses of the district magistrate and district police chief. No one was injured.