Separatist strike affects normal life in Indian-controlled Kashmir

A strike call by separatist alliance on Wednesday hit normal life in Muslim majority areas of Indian-controlled Kashmir including summer capital Srinagar city, according to media reports.The strike call was given by Majlis Mashawarat (Consultation Committee), which was formed by various separatist groups demanding return of the bodies of two Kashmiri separatists including the 2001 parliament attack convict Mohammed Afzal Guru who was hanged and buried in New Delhi's Tihar jail on Feb. 9."The Wednesday strike call, apart from the demand for returning the bodies buried in Tihar jail, is also aimed at protesting the arrest of youth by policemen across the region," said a statement issued by Majlis Mashawarat.The committee was formed after Guru's execution with the sole objective of seeking return of mortal remains of Guru and Mohammad Maqbool Bhat. Bhat, who was believed to be the founder of separatist movement, also was hanged and buried inside the Tihar Jail in 1984.Businesses and shops remained closed in wake of the strike call. The attendance in government offices and banks also remained affected. Public transport also was affected, though some private vehicles were seen plying on the roads.Authorities fearing clashes have deployed hundreds of police constables and India's paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force ( CRPF) in the sensitive towns to prevent protest demonstrations.Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the psyche of most Kashmiris and separatists have been demanding an end of New Delhi's rule in the region.