After eight days of violent protests and government restrictions, Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir is apparently calm again.
Hundreds of people queued up outside banks and crowds filled the markets to buy essential supplies. Traffic and inter-district bus services resumed as government offices and banks opened again.
Last week’s killing of a teenager by police followed by the mysterious deaths of two young boys, triggered demonstrations that turned into wider anti-India protests.
Locals blame security agencies for the unprovoked killing of the teenagers.
At least 400 people have been injured during the past week in street battles between government forces and large groups of rock-pelting Muslim protesters.
Authorities also imposed restrictions in the city.
Locals started to go back to work again.
[Showkat Sahil, Srinagar Resident]:
"Life was paralyzed during the last eight days because of the killings that took place in our city Srinagar. Now things have come back on track and people have started resuming their normal work and that is looking nice."
Traders, who were badly hit by shutdown calls and strikes, demanded the government take strict action.
[Bashir Ahmed, Trader]:
"The government must take strict action against those, who for their vested interest, spark violence and kill innocent people."
The recent protests came after a period of relative calm. At that time, the region voted in a new government amid speculation that New Delhi could be holding secret peace talks with moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other Kashmiri separatist leaders.
The rise in tension in Kashmir, which India and Pakistan claim in full but rule in part, comes at a sensitive time. It coincides with a spike in border violence by militant groups, most of them based in Pakistan.
