Clashes, Protests continue across Valley, 50 injured; Forces occupy 20 Schools, 50 Vital installations in Srinagar
- Freedom rallies held in several areas
- Tear-gas shell hits woman in Bandipora, 7-year-old boy in Shopian
- MLA Usman Majeed’s residence-cum-office attacked
- Lal Chowk ‘siege’ continues
- Police enforces strict curfew after 6 pm to foil resistance camp’s ‘relaxation’
- Jamaat office raided in Shopian, 2 detained
- Cop quits job in Sopore publically
- Paramilitary forces occupy 20 schools, 50 vital installations
At least 50 people were injured in clashes and protests that continued across Kashmir on Tuesday—the 46th straight of uprising in the region. A woman was hit by a tear-gas shell in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district while a seven-year-old was also hit by it in south Kashmir.
A Special Police Officer (SPO) announced quitting his service forthwith before a public gathering at Behrampora area of Rafiabad in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. At least 67 people have been killed in action by forces since the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzzaffar Wani, while over 7000 have been injured of which 500 have sustained pellet injuries. Many of the injured are on the verge of losing their vision in eyes hit by the pellets.
South Kashmir
At least 20 persons were injured when forces fired pellets on protesters in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, even as curfew remained in place in all major towns.
Witnesses said Army and cops of Special Operations Group of J&K Police were clearing a road that had been blocked by protesters in Vihil and Nowgam villages of Shopian when they came under attack of stone-pelters. Forces resorted to aerial firing and also lobbed teargas shells and fired pellets on the protestors, they said.
17 people sustained injuries in the clashes, most of them with pellets, local doctors said.
“The injured were removed to local Primary Health Center where-from three critically-injured youth were referred to Srinagar,” doctors at the PHC said.
“We received two pellet injuries from Shopian, both were hit in chest and abdomen, but one of them had an eye injury too,” said a doctor at SK Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar. He identified the duo as Aamir and Farooq Ahmad.
People later hit the roads again and the clashes, in which three more youth sustained injuries, after they spread to nearby villages. One of the minors, identified as Saliq Hussain Bhat, 7, was hit a by a teargas shell near his chin at Chakoora village and he is being treated at District Hospital Shopian.
Superintendent of Police (SP), Shopian Tahir Saleem said that forces had to fire pellets after they “came under heavy stone-pelting.”
“Five policemen also sustained injuries after being hit by stones,” the SP said.
Clashes also erupted in Prichoo and Rohmoo villages of Pulwama. Authorities also foiled a pro-freedom march towards Saffron Colony Pampore. However, a pro-freedom rally was held in Putrigam.
A freedom-cum-unity rally of various sects was also organized in Hardi Toor village of Shangus. Democratic Freedom Party leader, Er Farooq Ahmad Khan, Tehreek-I-Hurriyat District President Mir Hafizullah, Tehsil President Shangus Muhammad Shafi and JKLF District Secretary Showkat Ahmad addressed the rally. The leaders told the people to remain steadfast and not support any of pro-India party in future. Women also participated in the rally and, along with others, raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. Pro-freedom rallies were also held in several Kulgam villages.
In Tral, Dukhtaran-I-Milat (DeM) activists organized a pro-freedom rally.
Meanwhile, curfew continued in Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian and Pampore towns. Clashes also erupted at many places including Khudwani and Redwani Ghat in Kaimoh area of Kulgam and Charsoo in Awantipora.
Meanwhile, shops opened after 6 pm in Anantnag district while traffic also plied on the main roads, as per the resistance leadership’s calendar. Late evening reports said forces raided Jamaat-e-Islami office in Shopian and detained two scholars from there.
North Kashmir
Reports said forces unleashed a “reign of terror” in Tulbal area of Sopore by damaging residential houses and beating inmates.
Witnesses said forces broke windowpanes, doors and also damaged household belongings, apart from beating up dozens of people. At least 20 people were injured in the forces’ thrashing, they said.
They said when people started protesting against the forces’ action, dozens of tear-gas shells were fired on them. The police, according to locals, detained two youth in the area which intensified the protests. The duo was identified as Yasin Sheikh and Shabir Sheikh. Locals also alleged that forces fired a tear-gas shell at a residential house where a pregnant lady fainted.
Meanwhile, a special police officer Waseem Ahmed, who was a driver at SDPO office Rafiabad Baramulla, resigned from his services before a public gathering. Waseem is a resident of Behrampora, Rafiabad. The police, however, claimed nobody resigned. Meanwhile, clashes erupted in various areas of Bandipora district in which a woman was injured. Doctors at the Sub-district Hospital said the woman, identified as Haseena, a resident of Watpora, was treated for injuries in her abdomen. “She had been hit by a teargas shell and was discharged after being provided with medical aid,” they said.
Reports and witnesses said clashes broke out in Malangam, Watpora Kaloosa, Quil, Onagam and Aloosa areas of the district. Graffiti slogans were also written on roads, walls and shop shutters by youth in various localities including Nowpora, Nusoo, Ajar and Gulshan Chowk.
Witnesses said clashes also erupted in Kaloosa locality where protestors had gathered near NM Higher Secondary School. While the protesters hurled stones at forces, the latter responded by firing tear-gas and ‘sound shells’. A protest rally was also held by women in Ajas area of Bandipora. Witnesses said scores of women while raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans marched from Main Chowk Ajas to a local Eidgah. Similar protest rally was held by women in Sonerwani locality. The protest rallies were however peaceful.
Meanwhile, witnesses said police also chased peaceful protestors, who had erected tents on roads, at main market Bandipora. The protesters resisted the police action, which triggered clashes.
Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed in Bandipora, Hajin and Sumbal areas of the district.
Reports from north Kashmir’s Kupwara district suggested stone-pelting and clashes took place at Kulangam, Nutnoosa, Drugmulla, Shumnag and Lalpora areas.
MLA’s Residence Attacked
Reports said stone-pelters allegedly attacked MLA Usman Majeed’s office-cum residence at Bandipore, damaging its windowpanes. The walls of the residence-cum-office also suffered some damage, they said.
SRINAGAR:
While old Srinagar areas remained under tight curfew, restrictions were in place in Civil Lines areas. However, curfew was in place in Batamaloo, Maisuma and Kralkhud. Reports said that police and paramilitary CRPF men foiled a rally at Zafrran Colony Sempora on Srinagar outskirts. Locals said they had organised a ‘Deeni Ijtima’ (religious congregation) and ‘Majlis-e-Dua’ (prayer gathering) to pay tributes to slain civilians. However, a heavy contingent of forces arrived at the venue and foiled the rally, evoking criticism from the locals. Late evening reports said a protest march was held at New Theed Harwan against the forces’ atrocities and civilian killings.
Reports said evening protests were also held at Nowgam, Lasjan, Hyderpora, Humhama, HMT and Lawaypora areas. Reports of evening clashes also came in from old Srinagar areas including Khanyar, Hawal and Rajouri Kadal.
Reports said police disallowed people from offering Maghrib (evening) prayers on roads at Nowpora and Sekidafar and resorted to pellet firing in which two youth sustained injuries. Clashes were reported from Safa Kadal and Nawa Kadal areas of old Srinagar.
Madrassa Babul Uloom led by Meer Sajad ur Rehman was raided by forces on Tuesday evening, triggering panic and students and scholars there, witnesses said. The forces’ action evoked severe condemnation.
Central Kashmir
Reports said clashes broke out at Kawoosa Khalisa in Budgam district where dozens of youth sustained injuries in forces’ action. Locals said the forces ransacked residential houses, triggering protests. Reports said hundreds of people assembled at Bugam-Chadoora where various religious preachers stressed on unity among people. Reports said clashes broke out at Gowherpora Chowk where forces tried to halt movement of people. Protests were held in Kremshore village of Khansahab against civilian killings.
A cycle-rally was held in villages that include Arath, Wadwan and Dharmuna in Budgam district.
Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed across Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district while a massive women’s rally was taken out from Manigam area. A similar rally was held in Fatehpora area.
Police Version
According to a statement issued by Zonal Police Headquarters, “following improvement in situation, curfew was lifted from most areas of Srinagar areas where situation remained normal.”
“There was increased movement of people and the vehicular traffic in Srinagar today. However, curfew remained in force in Anantnag district and areas falling under five police station of downtown city, besides, Batamaloo, Maisuma and Kralkhud,” the statement read.
“There was greater movement of people in many areas of Kashmir following the improvement in the situation. Three incidents of stone pelting were reported from Shopian, Srinagar and Sopore till the filling of this report.”
These incidents, the police spokesman said, were reported from Vehil in Shopian, Nowgam Chowk near Ahmad Hospital in Srinagar and Khushal colony in Sopore. “Except for these incidents situation remained under control across Kashmir .”
Govt says no comments; BSF says can’t occupy schools without Govt permission
The paramilitary forces have occupied 20 government and semi-government schools besides 50 vital government installations across Kashmir as BSF is replacing CRPF for maintaining law and order after a gap of 12 years.
According to sources, the paramilitary BSF occupied Government Middle School Guptganga, Nishat, Government High School, Nishat, Government High School Kralkhud, Government Girls Higher Secondary Kothi Bagh, Government Higher Secondary School Panthachowk, Government Higher Secondary School Rainawari, M P School, Maharaj Gunj, Government High School Safa Kadal, National School Karan Nagar, Government High School, Lal Bazaar, DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, Government Higher Secondary School Shutra Shahi, Government High Secondary School Channapora, Government Higher Scondary School, B K Pora Nowgam while Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) also occupied a number of schools buildings across Kashmir.
Besides the schools, the paramilitary forces also occupied 50 vital installations of the government for setting up their camps.
The schools today had been transformed into a part of battlefield despite the broad international law requiring parties to armed conflicts to spare educational institutions from use in support of military effort.
The playing fields in these schools have already been encircled with barbed wires, classrooms filled with sleeping cots of troopers, fortifications established atop buildings, snipers positioned in classroom windows, rifles stacked in hallways, grenades hidden under desks and armoured vehicles parked in compounds.
Talking to Kashmir Post, Inspector General (IG) BSF, Kashmir Frontier, Vikas Chandra said, “We couldn’t have taken over schools until the government approved of it.”
He said they were setting up camps at different places as the government had asked it to replace CRPF.
“We have taken over four schools in Srinagar – S P Higher Secondary School, DAV School and two more schools in Nishat and Bemina,” the IG BSF said.
However, Director Education, Shah Faesal said he would offer no comments on the issue of schools being occupied by the paramilitary forces.
The decision of handing schools to paramilitary forces has evoked widespread criticism and strong resentment across Kashmir.
Criticizing the government’s decision of allowing paramilitary forces to occupy schools, the twitter handle of Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Geelani highlighted the issue.
“BSF and paramilitary CRPF troopers have occupied various key government and semi-government schools in #Kashmir (sic),” Geelani tweeted.
Two years after the incumbent Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s father took over as the CM in 2002, the paramilitary forces were asked to vacate school buildings but in Mehbooba’s tenure, they have now started re-occupying schools.
The decision of the paramilitary forces to occupy schools comes just a day after Education Minister Naeem Akhtar announced reopening of government schools in Kashmir.
A survey of the ‘Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack’, an inter-agency coalition formed in 2010 to address the problem of targeted attacks on education during armed conflict, has given ‘Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict’ asking the fighting forces not to use functioning schools and universities in any way in support of the military effort.
The paramilitary forces in Kashmir have also occupied another 50 vital installations of the government in a bid to quell protests witnessed during the past 46 days, ending in 67 civilian killings.
Government of India has also rushed 26 more companies of BSF men to Kashmir from Gujarat, West Bengal and Rajasthan.
The BSF conducted anti-militancy operations in Kashmir from 1991 to 2004 when they were replaced in Srinagar by CRPF and moved to their primary duty of guarding the borders.
Now the BSF men are in schools.
