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| Night weddings return as violence ebbs in Kashmir | | |
SRINAGAR - Scores of heavily armed security patrols are not the only sight at night on the streets of Srinagar at the moment.
On show are cars decorated with brightly coloured flowers, carrying brides and grooms, accompanied by processions of vehicles filled with well-wishers, women singing traditional songs and fireworks exploding in the night sky.
It's the return of a centuries-old Kashmiri tradition of holding night marriage ceremonies, making a comeback to the restive Himalayan region after nearly 17 years, thanks to a relative drop in separatist violence.
"It is like a dream come true," 30-year-old groom, Muneer Ahmad, dressed in a turban, a long cream tunic and matching trousers, told Reuters on his wedding night in Srinagar.
"I never thought I would ever celebrate my marriage at night," he said, standing near a huge illuminated marquee, where hundreds of guests were being served "Wazwaan" -- a Kashmiri feast of over a dozen dishes.
A simmering discontent against New Delhi's rule in Indian Kashmir erupted into a violent revolt by Islamist militants in 1989 and has killed more than 45,000 people.
The revolt also had a devastating impact on the lives of the locals and put an end to night life and late-night weddings.
Now, despite daily gunbattles between soldiers and militants as well as occasional bomb attacks, Indian authorities say overall violence levels have declined after India and Pakistan launched a peace process to resolve their dispute over Kashmir nearly three years ago.
This has allowed Kashmiris to get married at night, and locals estimate more than a dozen weddings are taking place after sunset every week in Srinagar alone.
SECURITY CONCERNS
"The return of such festivities is an indicator that things have improved, the atmosphere is relaxed in the Kashmir Valley now," said V.S. Manhas, a senior security officer.
Police say Kashmir witnessed over 900 militancy-related violent incidents in the first six-and-a-half months of 2006 compared to nearly 1,100 during the same period last year.
Now, as night falls, Srinagar -- Kashmir's summer capital -- no longer shuts down. Shops and restaurants which closed before sunset now stay open until late evening as locals take advantage of the new atmosphere.
At Muneer's wedding, there is a merry feeling in the air, but security concerns remain.
"Congratulations brother," a smiling soldier wishes the groom whose car is stopped at a security post on its way to the wedding venue.
"Please start blinking the headlights of your cars near check-posts to signal that you are a marriage party," the soldier tells the groom's driver.
Nearby, children set off firecrackers.
"A few years ago, the lighting of crackers would bring the wrath of security forces, but times have changed," says 55-year-old Abdul Qadir, a guest at the wedding, recalling times when troops mistook firecrackers for militant gunfire.
"You can smell peace in the air."
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