Life back to normal in Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 12 (IANS) Life was normal on Monday in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, as educational institutions, markets, government offices and transport opened after three days of Eid festivities and a shutdown called by separatists.

Markets opened early as people rushed to work after three days of festivities, and the shutdown called against communal clashes in Kishtwar town.

Schools, colleges, banks, government offices opened as cheerful children boarded school-buses to rejoin their classmates after the Eid holidays.

Both private and public transport moved on all the city and inter-district roads in the valley.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik called for a march against village defence committees of Jammu region.

In a statement, Malik said the committees were "armies without uniform".

Many separatists have been blaming the village committees for their role in the communal clashes in Kishtwar.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Sunday that the committees were formed to combat militant threats and any administrative decision on them would be taken only after keeping everything under consideration.