Fear and confusion deepened in Kashmir on Saturday, a day after the State Government asked tourists and Amarnath pilgrims to cut short their stay in Kashmir and leave as soon as possible,
Throughout the day all kinds of rumors related to J&K’sspecial status and its political future were afloat.
The secretive leakage of a series of government orders overthe past one week – from troops’ build-up to shutting down college hostels tocancelling leaves of doctors and on ordering stocking of food grains – has ledto a frenzied atmosphere.
Late in the afternoon, the Governor Satya Pal Malik tried toclear the confusion by saying there was “nothing to worry about “as of now”.However, he was quick to add, “I don’t know about tomorrow.”
As a result people in Kashmir, for the second consecutiveday, were seen thronging markets to stock essentials including eatables, babyfood, medicines and other commodities.
Since yesterday there has been massive rush of people onfilling stations and ATMs. Today the petrol pumps in summer capital Srinagarremained shut, fearing law and order situation, as people were seeing jostlingfor their turn to fill the tanks.
An official of an oil company which has around 106 fillingstations in Kashmir sold around 7 lakh 91 thousand litres of petrol, five timesmore that the average sale per day.
Other oil companies witnessed equal jump in sale of fuel asthe rumors led to fear among people.
Sociologist DrWakarul Amin while commenting on the presentscenario in Kashmir said rumours are the outconme of curiosity.
“If we see it sociologically rumour is a way of satisfyingan urge to know the very same thing that a listener wants to hear. There isalso a psychological aspect to it where in we see some spread rumors forcreating sensation,” Amin said, describing Kashmir as a “fertile ground” forrumors.
In places like New Delhi, he said, “you will not see thiskind of thing. But in case of Kashmir we have such experiences where rumorshave turned true”.
Meanwhile, the Home Department advisory led to most of theoutsiders leaving the Valley either by road or air. Even labourers from otherstates have left the Valley.
Since morning there were long rows of tourists at SrinagarInternational Airport and Tourist Reception Center Srinagar, eager to booktheir tickets to leave Kashmir.
The NIT students from other states too have started to leaveKashmir despite officials claiming that there was no advisory to shutdowneducational institutions.