Shopian, July 23:
Shopian witnessed a complete shutdown on Tuesday — the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 — as residents protested the government’s decision to relocate the Deputy Chief Education Officer (DCEO) office from the district’s Mini Secretariat to Chitragam, the native village of Zainapora MLA Showkat Hussain Ganai.
Shops and business establishments remained shut across the district, while traffic movement was partially disrupted. The shutdown call, spearheaded by the All Party Council, received widespread support from political parties, civil society groups, and local trade bodies.
Residents condemned the move as politically driven and called it a deliberate act of injustice against the people of Shopian. Protesters have demanded the immediate reversal of the order and the restoration of the DCEO office to its original location.
The demonstration marks the first significant shutdown in Shopian in over five years, signaling a rare show of unity and growing public discontent cutting across political affiliations.
