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Kashmir shuts down amid protest of Indian PM visit

Written by Writer on Monday, October 13th, 2008

Kashmir shuts down amid protest of Indian PM visit

AP

SRINAGAR, India –– Shops, businesses and schools were shut in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Saturday to protest a visit by the Indian prime minister to the disputed Himalayan region.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was in the region to inaugurate its first train line and meet with pro-Indian political parties. His visit comes amid a wave of unrest that included some of the largest protests against Indian rule in two decades. On Friday, police fatally shot two people as thousands of Muslims protested Singh’s arrival. At least 75 others, including 34 security personnel, were injured in the clashes.

The Jammu-Kashmir Coordination Committee, a coalition of Muslim separatists and local business leaders, called for a strike Saturday in Srinagar to protest Singh’s visit. The city’s streets were deserted and government forces erected steel barricades and laid razor wire on the streets in anticipation of protests. On Saturday, Singh inaugurated Kashmir’s first train line, meant to forge stronger ties between the region and the rest of India.

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News Topics : Barricades, Clashes, Coordination Committee, First Train, Government Forces, Himalayan Region, Indian Political Parties, Indian Prime Minister, Jammu Kashmir, Kashmir, Local Business Leaders, Manmohan, Manmohan Singh, Muslim Separatists, Prime Minister Manmohan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Razor Wire, Security Personnel, Srinagar India, Train Line