AARYAN SHARMA
JAMMU: For Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti the coming days would be more challenging as she is expected to control the situation on ground zero and reach out to the disgruntled elements to douse the flames of fire before situation slips out of her hands.
To effectively deal with the security situation, she also needed firm backing of her ‘mentors’ in New Delhi.
While opposition parties have been raising question marks over her absence from Kashmir Valley at a crucial juncture, she is expected to chair meeting of the Unified High Command soon to review the security situation and prepare a strategy to contain street protests and minimise loss of human lives by sticking to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
Her meetings with the Defence Minister and senior Union Ministers must have given her confidence to handle the situation with free hand to restore order soon
At present, parts of Kashmir Valley, including volatile areas in Srinagar, have been placed under curfew and street protests have erupted following firing incident in Handwara which has already claimed four lives including budding cricketer Nayeem Bhat.
In the coming days, if the trend continued and street protests would be witnessed across volatile districts of North and South Kashmir the tourist foot-fall to the picturesque Valley would be adversely affected.
Though tourists have been visiting the Kashmir at regular intervals but during peak summer season starting from May-June valley is flooded with tourists from the neighboring states to enjoy the
cool climes of the Valley and soak themselves in the serene beauty.
The tourist season is extended with the beginning of the annual Amarnath pilgrimage till August end.
During the shifting of the Durbar Move offices in the first week of May 2016 the summer capital of Srinagar is also expected to witness more protests. As first woman Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti would have to do tight rope walking to restore normalcy and win confidence of the people.
