Uneasy calm prevails across Kashmir, Fresh clashes erupt amid Shutdown

• Forces foil sit-in against Jamia ‘siege’ at Nowhatta
• Clashes in Chattabal against night raids, arrests
• Police detains 2 youth for ‘damaging’ JK Bank property at Natipora

Amid complete shutdown across Kashmir, protests and clashes erupted in several areas while forces foiled a peaceful sit-in against complete lockdown of historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of old Srinagar on Thursday, reports and witnesses said.
Reports said clashes erupted at Nowhatta after police foiled a peaceful rally of people who were demanding lifting of curbs on Friday congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid. They were also protesting against the continued detention of Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Reports said as people started to assemble at Nowhatta Chowk to stage a peaceful sit-in, police swung into action and disrupted the protestors. This triggered brief clashes during which forces fired dozens of tear-gas shells.

Pertinently, the government has disallowed Friday congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid for the past 14 weeks by imposing strict curbs in the area, while Mirwaiz who delivers Friday sermons at the grand mosque, remains lodged in sub-jail at Cheshmashahi here.
Hurriyat Conference (M) spokesman, advocate Shahid-ul-Islam said locals including traders from Jamia Masjid had organised a peaceful protest and a sit-in against the continuous “siege” of Jamia.
Locals at Nowhatta said Mirwaiz is not just the Hurriyat (M) chairman but also a religious leader. “Tomorrow will be the 15th Friday in a row when there would be no congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid. We urge the government to lift the siege and not impose any curbs here tomorrow. Government should also release Mirwaiz forthwith,” they said.

In Chattabal locality of the city, hundreds of police and CRPF men raided the area at around 12:30 AM. “The forces first cordoned the houses, knocked at the doors and then jumped over the boundary wall to make arrests,” locals said. “They had brought ladders which are used by fire fighters to force their entry inside the houses,” they added.
Following the crackdown, announcements were made in Masjids asking people to come out of their homes. “Slogans were raised and people were asked to come out of their homes to stall the arrests,” a local resident said.
“At least seven persons were arrested during the crackdown. The detained persons include those whose relatives are evading arrest and are allegedly involved in anti-India protests. The action of forces evoked protests and stone pelting and forces fired tear gas shells before leaving the area around 2 AM,” locals said.
Meanwhile, life in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley remained affected on the 104th day of the strike though there was semblance of normalcy in the civil lines areas with increased movement of traffic on the roads.
Shops and business establishments were shut in the day and opened only during the periodic relaxation announced by the separatists who have extended the shutdown till October 27. Traffic snarls were witnessed at many places in the evening.
There were no restrictions on the movement of people though forces were deployed in strength at various spots prone to protests.
The ongoing unrest in Kashmir has affected the education as schools, colleges and other institutions continued to remain shut in the Valley. The government has decided to hold board examinations as per the schedule next month, drawing criticism from students and parents who accused it of being insensitive to lack of academic activity due to shutdown.
The unrest, which began a day after Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8, has left over 90 people, including two cops, dead and several thousand injured. Thousands of youth have been arrested by police over the past three months in an attempt to quell the protests. Over 300 persons have been booked under Public Safety Act (PSA).

Reports said police detained two youth for allegedly damaging J&K Bank property at Budshah Nagar, Nattipora here yesterday while hunt for others involved in the act is on. Police had on Wednesday registered FIR into the damage caused to the Bank property by some persons. Reports from Zainageer area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district said forces foiled a rally and allegedly thrashed many women in the area. Reports from Ganderbal district said clashes broke out between protesters and forces in Cherwan area of Kangan. Forces resorted to teargas shelling to disperse stone-pelting protesters at Cherwan. Locals accused the forces of smashing windowpanes of residential houses in the locality after the clashes ended. Reports said clashes broke out in Khudwani village of Qaimoh in Kulgam district of South Kashmir.
According to a statement issued by the Zonal Police headquarters Kashmir, no untoward incident was reported from any part of the Kashmir. The statement said that with constant improvement in the situation coupled with increase in traffic and pedestrian movement in Srinagar and other main towns, the overall situation remained peaceful in the valley. “Greater people and vehicular movement were observed in Srinagar city as was in other parts of the valley. Shops and other business establishments were open and markets were thronged by shoppers. However, a stray incident of stone pelting was reported from Brath in Sopore,” it said.