Mobile ban fans protests

It was a bad decision to ban the mobile services in Kashmir as it has played a role in prolonging the street protests. This is not the assessment of any political party or the separatists. It is the feeling of some young men who have been seeing their fellow Kashmiris taking part in street protests. “Mobile is a source of great entertainment and interaction. The mobile ban denied the young boys the chance to talk to their friends and girlfriends. And when they didn’t have anything to do, some of them sought catharsis of their claustrophobia in street protests,” observed a young Kashmiri who has done his postgraduation in sociology and is looking for the troubles to end so that the government releases the list of teachers. He has applied for the job of a teacher. There are hundreds like him who have kept themselves aloof from protests and have been analysing the situation. —Amit Khajuria

Hot topic: Indo-Pak ties

The Indo-Pak warmongering has been the new subject of discussions in the state. It has overshadowed the debate over the Kashmir unrest in which 85 civilians and policemen were killed in violent protests since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. The drastic drift in debate is attributed to the Uri terror attack which left 18 Army soldiers dead. The assembly of people at every roundabout, public place and even during morning and evening walks can easily be spotted discussing the Central government’s strategy. The discussions contain varied anecdotes ranging from sarcasm to serious repercussions of war, if it happened. People affiliated to opposition parties cash in on the opportunity to make hilarious comments and crack a joke on the BJP’s claims of protecting borders and safeguarding the interests of every Indian. —Arteev Sharma 

Cosco ball gains popularity 

Gone are the days when the cricket tournaments were played in the day as night cricket tournaments with Cosco balls are getting popular both in urban and rural areas. The tournaments are in progress in city and its outskirts wherein a large number of people are taking keen interest in the matches which are mostly of 10 overs each. In some tournaments, there is participation of more than 15 teams. City areas like Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Trikuta Nagar, Rehari, Parade, Ambphalla and Satwari are the favourite destinations of the organisers of tournaments. “Earlier, when leather balls were used in tournaments, equipment like gloves and pads were required and everyone could not afford it. But in night tournaments, playing with Cosco balls, no such equipment is required,” said Sonu, a local. —Vikas Sharma

Beggars disappear

Due to the ongoing agitation in Kashmir, not a single beggar is visible outside any shrine, mosque or any part of the summer capital. On normal days, hundreds of beggars would be seen in and around  Srinagar city, stopping vehicles and sitting outsides the gates of shrines and mosques on Fridays. However, since the unrest started, it seems the beggars have disappeared into thin air. As Srinagar remains under curfew for the past 60 days, most of the beggars have gone off the streets ensuring their safety amid the difficult times. —Rifat Mohidin

Of human trafficking

Yet another sex racket has been unearthed in Jammu. Though there are no actual figures available on the number of people arrested over the years and no follow-up reports as to what punishments under law were given to those involved, the busting of sex rackets in Jammu and Kashmir has been a frequent phenomenon just like terror attacks. Be it busting of sex rackets or infiltration of terrorists in the state, the law has to be strong and effective to put an end to these felonies. —Vikram Sharma