KASHMIR DAY 53: 100 more injured

DAY 53: 100 more injured

Pellets rain on protestors at Eidgah, 2 minors among 30 injured; Forces foil many freedom rallies in South, North Kashmir; Police enforce evening curbs in Srinagar to foil resistance camp’s relaxation; 4 Ganderbal youth booked under PSA, shifted to Jammu jails; Sudden curfew imposed in Baramulla at 4 pm; PSA slapped on aged Jamaat leader in Sopore


ABID BASHIR/KHALID GUL
Srinagar/ Anantnag, Publish Date: Aug 31 2016 1:25AM | Updated Date: Aug 31 2016 1:25AM
DAY 53: 100 more injured

Photo: Mir Wasim/GK

Over 100 protestors including two minors and a few women were injured in day-long protests and clashes across Kashmir on Tuesday. In South Kashmir, forces resorted to pellet firing on people who had assembled at various places to join pro-freedom rallies, resulting in injuries to over 50 people, witnesses and reports said.

Reports said forces fired pellets on protestors at Waniyar, Eidgah in old Srinagar when people alleg¬edly tried to attack a police post there. In the forces’ action, two minors were among 30 injured.

The J&K government has already lifted curfew from entire Kashmir, barring areas falling under two police stations in old Srinagar. Curfew was lifted on Monday after 51 days. However, night restrictions continued across Srinagar, witnesses said.

70 people including two cops have been killed in 52-day-long widespread pro¬tests triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen com¬mander Burhan Wani on July 8, while over 7500 are injured with 500 of them sus¬taining serious pellet inju¬ries in their eyes, in action by police, paramilitary forces and army.


SOUTH KASHMIR

At least 50 people were injured after forces continued to foil peaceful pro-freedom rallies and also went berserk at several places—barging into houses—in South Kash¬mir areas on Tuesday. Amid complete shutdown, several all-women protest rallies were held at various places on  the call of joint resistance leadership.

20 people sustained injuries after forces tried to foil a pro-freedom rally in Wathoo village in Shopian district. Witnesses said early in the morning, forces vandalized the venue where the rally was scheduled and beat up vol¬unteers who were making the necessary arrangements.

“They also fired teargas shells and pellets on people who tried to resist their move, causing injuries to at least 20 pro-testers,” they said. Despite the forces’ action, local residents said, the rally went on.
Forces also tried to foil another rally in Panzath village of Qazigund in Anantnag district. “The forces after setting ablaze tents resorted to intense tear-gas shelling and pellet firing,” witnesses said, adding: “At least 10 people sustained injuries in the police action.” The rally was however held later wherein religious clerics from various sects and local pro-freedom leaders including Tehreek-I-Hurriyat (TeH) district president (Anantnag), Mir Hafizullah spoke. People of Mehmoodabad and adjoining Nathipora villages in Dooru area of Anantnag alleged that forces ran amok in the areas, damaging property and ‘terrorizing’ people.

“There were no clashes or protests in the village. However, forces barged into houses and ransacked household goods and broke windowpanes,” locals alleged. People later hit the streets in protest, triggering violent clashes that resulted in injuries to 10 people including an elderly lady.
“A 55-year-old lady, identified as Sara Begum, received pellet injuries in head and chest and was being treated at Sub- District Hospital (SDH) Dooru,” reports said.

They said 60-year-old Ghulam Hassan Bhat was also detained by police. Locals alleged that forces without any provocation have been “terrorizing” people for the past few days. Six people were injured after forced conducted noctur¬nal raids in Srandoo village of Kulgam, beating up inmates while trying to arrest youth. “As people came out to protest, forces lobbed shells and fired pellets, injuring few persons. A youth who sustained critical injury was referred to a Srinagar hospital.”
Four people were injured in clashes that erupted between forces and protesters in Bathipora-Chogalpora village of Kulgam. Reports of ransacking of houses and beating up of inmates were received from Arigam village of Pulwama.

Meanwhile, Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) led all-women ral¬lies in different areas of South Kashmir.
In Kulgam, an all-women rally was held at Mohamadpora village wherein—amid pro-freedom slogans—the speakers appealed women to remain resilient in the ongoing resistance struggle. Similar rallies were held in Srigufwara village of Bijbehara which saw participation of many women. The DeM also organized rallies in Tral town and Darsaroo village of Tral.

Meanwhile, complete shutdown as observed in entire South Kashmir. However, police and paramilitary forces were man¬ning the streets in all towns including Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Pampore and Bijbehara, while army was deployed at several places along Srinagar-Jammu Highway, witnesses said.

Curfew was lifted from Pulwama town on Tuesday. Mean¬while, a video journalist, who works with News 24 channel identified as Aijaz Ahmed Dar was injured while covering protests in Wathoo village of Shopian, witnesses said. Forces fired pellets at the protestors while pellets also hit Aijaz while he was performing his professional duties, they said.

SRINAGAR

At least 30 people including two minors sustained pellet injuries at Waniyar, Eidgah, Nowpora, Sekidafar areas of Sri¬nagar when youth tried to attack a police post Waniyar. Wit¬nesses said two minors, Amir and Tasi—both aged 7 years— were also injured in the police action. The injured, according to witnesses, were shifted to SMHS hospital.

Reports said protests erupted in various Srinagar areas including Nawakadal, Khanyar, Noorbagh, Qamarwari, Safa Kadal, Khanyar and others. At Sekidafar, locals alleged forces broke windowpanes of their houses.

Reports of evening protests also poured in from Laway¬pora, HMT, Habba Kadal, Chottabazar, and Gurubazar areas. Meanwhile, inhabitants of Khwaja Bazar area in old Srinagar alleged that forces posted in the locality went “berserk” this evening, and ransacked scores of residential houses.

NORTH KASHMIR

The residents of Baramulla town were surprised this eve¬ning after police re-imposed curfew here at around 4.30 pm.

According to reports, the police reportedly anticipated that traders might resume their business activity after 6 pm (as per resistance leadership’s call) and therefore preferred to impose curfew much earlier. The town has been witnessing strict curfew after 6 pm since the joint resistance camp issued its protest calendar, according to which, people have been asked to resume their business activity after 6 pm.

Meanwhile, a massive pro-freedom march was carried out this evening from Jamia Masjid in Old Town till Azad Gunj Chowk. The rally was held peacefully.

Reports said a complete shutdown was observed in Sopore while peaceful protests were reported from Muslim Peer, Batpora, Arampora and Main Chowk areas. At least 16 people were injured when clashes broke out between forces and pro¬testors after cops picked up some youth in Bandipora district. Scores of people assembled near Kaloosa Bridge to stage pro¬tests against the detentions, but police lobbed teargas shells and fired pellets to disperse the protesters, resulting in injury to at least 16 persons, including two women. The injured were referred to Sub-District Hospital Bandipora. Doctors at the SDH confirmed that 16 injured persons including two women were received “with minor injuries.”

“They were discharged after being provided the necessary medical aid,” they said.
Mild stone-pelting also took place at Watapora area of the district. Police fired teargas shells to disperse the protestors. However no injury was reported.

Meanwhile peaceful protest rallies were also held in Putus¬hai, Onagam and Panzigam villages of the district. Massive protest rallies was also held by residents of Ajas and Saidu¬nara villages of Bandipora against Army’s alleged highhand¬edness on Monday. Witnesses said residents while raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans accused Army’s 13 RR unit camped at Manasbal along with police “unleased terror” in some villages. Women also participated in the protest rallies. Witnesses said angry protestors also burnt effigy of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Peaceful protests were also held in main town Bandipora in the evening that culminated near Gulshan Chowk.

Reports from Kupwara said protests were held in Bramri, Shalpora, Drugmulla against damage to residential houses allegedly by forces. Protests also erupted in Kulangam, and Bohipora, Chotipora, Langate, Kralgund and Yaroo villages of the district.

Meanwhile, reports said that Jammu and Kashmir police has booked senior Jammat-Islami leader Muhammad Yousuf Sheikh of Sopore under PSA and lodged him in central jail Kupwara. Sheikh, the resident of Iqbal Nagar Sopore, as per dossier prepared by Sopore police, besides being an active member of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat has been “leading unruly and violent mobs at least on three occasions in Sopore during the present crisis.” “He has been propagating anti-India senti¬ments and instigating youths against the State,” the dossier alleges.

CENTRAL KASHMIR

Four more youth were booked under PSA in Ganderbal dis¬trict and shifted to Udhampur and KotBalwal jails in Jammu province. They were identified as Tariq Ahmad Sofi (34 ) son of Muhammad Maqbool of Saloora Ganderbal; Nasir Ahmad Wani (28) son of Ghulam Muhammad of Kachhan Ganderbal; Feroz Ahmad Ganai (20) son of Ghulam Muhammad of Baroosa Lar and Tariq Ahmad Malik (32) son of Ghulam Ahmad of Kangan town .

Official sources at DC office Ganderbal told Greater Kash¬mir that two more cases were dropped and returned on health and age grounds.

Police said they were arrested on charges of different offenc¬es including stone-pelting, creating violence and creating law and order in their respective areas under sections 307, 323, 147, 148, 149, 336, 332 and 427 of RPC. FIRs vide No 141,158\2016 stands registered against Nasir at police station Ganderbal while FIR vide NOs 70,74, 80 and 84 stand registered against Malik at police station Kangan. Similarly, FIRs (15, 37 and 40) are registered against Feroz at police station Kheerbhwaani and FIRs (158 and 141) against Sofi at Ganderbal police station.

Wani and Malik were shifted to Udhampur while Sofi and Ganai to Kotbalwal Jail. The number of persons booked under PSA in Ganderbal district has reached eight.

Earlier this month, four youth from Kondbal, Saloora, Beehama and Fatehpora localities of the district were arrested and after being booked under PSA were shifted to Kathua and Udhampur jails of Jammu province.

Locals staged protests against arrest of local youths identi¬fied as Feroz Ahmad Ganai and Muzafar Ahmad Kumar, at Baroosa, Lar. Protests broke out at Wussan against arrest of local youth. Complete shutdown was observed in entire Ganderbal district. Meanwhile the condition of girl injured at Fatehpora clashes day before yesterday is stable at a Srinagar hospital. Meanwhile, three persons sustained during clashes at Ompura, Budgam.

Reports said protests and stone-pelting started at Ompura where forces fired dozens of tear-shells and pellets to disperse protestors.

POLICE STATEMENT

According to a statement issued by Zonal Police Headquar¬ters Kashmir, curfew has been lifted from entire Kashmir, except two Police Stations of Nowhatta and M R Gunj in Sri¬nagar. “Greater movement of private, passenger vehicular traffic and people was observed in major areas of Kashmir including Srinagar city today,” the statement claimed.

It said barring few minor stone-pelting incidents, the over¬all situation “remained peaceful and under control throughout the Valley till filing of this report.”

“The stone pelting incidents were reported from Batamaloo and Bag-e-Mehtab in Srinagar, Chankipora and Main Chowk, Sopore, Mehmoodabad in Dooru and Kaloosa in Bandipora where miscreants in their attempts to disturb the situation pelted stones on police and security force deployments,” the statement said.

(With additional reporting Altaf Baba ,Sheikh Nazir, Ghulam Muhammad and M A Dar)