Sikhs end protests in Jammu, army withdrawn

Jammu, June 6: Life began limping to normalcy here on Saturday as authorities withdrew the army from areas that saw street protests over the removal of posters of Sikh militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Members of the Sikh community ended their dragging demonstrations after reaching a deal with the Jammu administration late Friday. "The army has been withdrawn from the affected areas," a senior official told IANS here. Curfew imposed in the troubled places was lifted. The removal of the Bhindranwale posters triggered protests here this week, leading to the death of a young man in firing by security forces. This fuelled more protests in larger areas, prompting authorities to call in the army. An indefinite curfew was imposed in parts of Jammu. On Saturday, markets, public transport and other businesses in the areas of Satwari, Digiana, Nanak Nagar and Talab Tillo began functioning normally.