On Thursday, with the turmoil entering the 13th day, the Kashmir Valley witnessed a direct tug of war between separatists and the authorities over whose writ runs large. As the separatists relaxed the shutdown call in the afternoon, asking “people to stock essentials”, the government imposed curfew on the entire Valley.

“It is collective punishment of people for supporting the movement. This anti-people regime has touched the new height as the police asked local volunteers in a hospital to stop their activities,” said a statement issued by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik.

The authorities have decided to reopen schools in a few districts in the Valley under curfew. Schools in the districts of Baramulla, Bandipora, Budgam and Ganderbal were asked to reopen on Thursday.

Shaleen Kabra, Commission Secretary, Education Department said, “In rural areas, where the staff is mostly local, the schools witnessed moderate attendance, while in semi-urban centers, restrictions resulted in thin attendance”.