Sister and aunt of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Safia Abdullah and Suriaya Abdullah, have been detained during a protest in Srinagar today. Safia Abdullah (Omar’s sister) and Suriaya Abdullah (Omar’s aunt) were taking part in a civil society protest in Srinagar, the first of its kind in the past 73 days since August 5 when Article 370 was made inoperable in Jammu and Kashmir.

Several Kashmiri women tried to organise a sit-in protest at Lal Chowk in Srinagar today.

The police however foiled the protest and detained them. Many of the detained women include former professors and academicians from the Kashmir valley.

This is the first time in last 73 days that an all-woman civil society protest was held against the abrogation of Article 370, bifurcation of J&K state, and detention of political leaders.

In a tweet slamming the Modi government for detaining Safiya and Suraiya Adbullah, Mehboooba Mufti said, “A 56 inch macho government that detains lady senior citizens and women for peacefully protesting. Curfew can be placed on a city but certainty not on feelings and thoughts. How many more voices will you smother? (sic)”

Normal life has been hit in the Valley due to a near complete shutdown in the past two months. Market places, schools and college largely remain shut or see thin attendance. However, the government has been claiming that the situation is “normal” and that the detentions are “purely for precaution”.

For much of the past 73 days, telephone and mobile connectivity remained suspended in Kashmir. These restrictions have been relaxed in past few days but mobile internet remains suspended.

The Block Development Council (BDC) elections are schduuled for October 24 in kashmir. All three major political parties—the Congress, the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party–have decided to boycott the elections to protest governnment action in Kashmir.