Kashmiri leader calls for general strike

A prominent leader in Indian-administered Kashmir has called for a complete shutdown strike in response to the ongoing violence across the disputed Himalayan Valley.

Chairman of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani urged people to observe a complete shutdown in the Muslim-majority region.

Geelani and several other independence leaders say the Indian government should hold the security forces accountable for human rights violations and brutality in Kashmir.

The call for strike comes a day after two people were killed in violence between Hindu and Muslim communities. Several people were also severely injured in clashes.

The fresh wave of violence broke out after Eid prayers in Keshtwar, a town some 200 kilometers southeast of Srinagar.

Local media reports say clashes broke out when Hindu mobs attacked Muslims who had attended a pro-independence rally.

At least 30 people were injured; two of them critically.

Houses, cars and shops were burned in Keshtwar and a nearby village. Following the violent clashes, New Dehli imposed an indefinite curfew in the town and its adjacent area.

Authorities have deployed large police and paramilitary troops in most parts of the capital, Srinagar, and several other towns to prevent fresh street demonstrations. They have also put Kashmir’s top pro-independence separatist leaders under house arrest to keep them from leading protests.

Indian troops are also in constant clashes with angry protesters seeking independence in the area.

The government forces have frequently responded by imposing curfews and restrictions on the movement of people.

Anti-India and pro-independence sentiments are running high in Kashmir, a mountainous region which has been at the center of contention between India and Pakistan for more than 60 years.

The neighbors agreed on a ceasefire in 2003 and launched a peace process the following year. Since then, there have been sporadic clashes, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire.

Thousands of people have been killed in Kashmir over the past two decades.