Muslim separatists in Kashmir
Muslim separatist leaders launched protests in June saying that the Indian Government’s plan was aimed at changing the demography of the Muslim-majority region.
More than two months of angry protests have left at least 42 people dead in Indian-administered Kashmir, most of them killed when soldiers opened fire on Muslim protesters.
The Government has tried to crush the ongoing freedom struggle by harassing Kashmiris and using brutal force on them.
The strike was called by Jammu Kashmir Coordination Committee, whose members include Muslim separatist leaders and representatives of businesses, lawyers and government staff.
Key leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Omer Farooq and Mohammed Yasin Malik were kept under house arrest and released on September 1 2008, after a week long of detention.
The unrest was triggered by a government move to hand over land to a Hindu shrine.
