Kashmir 150 Days

Day 149: Protests in Palhallan, Kulgam, Tral; Srinagar abuzz
In Srinagar, the summer capital, Sunday market remained abuzz throughout the day while shoppers could be seen buying winter stuff.

ABID BASHIR/ KHALID GUL
Srinagar/Anantnag, Publish Date: Dec 4 2016 11:11PM | Updated Date: Dec 4 2016 11:11PM

Even as Kashmir remained abuzz with activities on weekend relaxation call by joint resistance leadership, massive protests erupted at Palhallan and Tral area while as yet another school went up in flames in south Kashmir, witnesses and reports said on Sunday.

In Srinagar, the summer capital, Sunday market remained abuzz throughout the day while shoppers could be seen buying winter stuff.

Roads witnessed massive traffic jams as public transport plied smoothly. Private vehicles also plied on roads in a big number. This is the third weekend relaxation announced by the joint resistance leadership since July 8. In old city all major markets remained abuzz with activities.

Reports said that all the schools were open across Kashmir with full attendance of students.

South Kashmir

Devsar and other adjoining villages observed a complete shutdown on Sunday against the killing of a local Fisheries department employee, Asadullah  Kumar,  of Mudhal- Devsar allegedly by government forces.

The Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti visited the area amidst shutdown to inaugurate the JK Bank ATM. She also visited the hospital and college in Kelam village of Devsar. “Shops remained closed and traffic was of the roads in Devsar-  Kellam and adjoining villages,” witnesses said.

They said police and paramilitary forces were deployed in strength to thwart any attempts of protests. “Clashes, however, erupted between the forces and protesters after the Chief Minister left the area,” witnesses added.

Meanwhile, Dooru and Verinag areas of Anantnag district continued to observe shutdown against the killing of a Congress Sarpanch Sajad Malik allegedly by forces during police custody. Shops remained shut while traffic remained off the roads.

In Southern Tral area of Pulwama district clashes erupted on Sunday evening after the culmination of a religious function at the shrine of Hazrat Shah-e-Hamdan (RA).

Witnesses said that youth pelted stones on the paramilitary forces stationed in the town after the Urs of  Hazrat Shah-e-Hamdan ended at Khanqah-e-Faiz Panah. The forces responded by firing teargas shells.

Shopkeepers downed their shutters following the clashes. The whole market wore a deserted look despite the relaxation in shutdown called by the separatist leadership. “Some youth who were returning from Urs, pelted stones on forces who were chased” SP Awantipora Zahid Malik said. 

Earlier the annual Urs of Hazat Amir Kabeer Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (RA), popularly known as Shah-e-Hamdan, was observed at Khanqah-e-Faiz Panah in the area with religious fervor and enthusiasm. The Urs is observed on 6 Zul Hijjah every year but local Auqaf administration had postponed it due to the ongoing uprising.

Another school goes up in flames

Another government run school went into flames in a mysterious fire incident in Kokernag area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district last night.

Officials said that a government high school was torched at Narsangri in Larnoo area last night. “The fire damaged the rooftop of the  building and few rooms of,” an official  said.

The flames were brought under control by police and Fire and Emergency Department personnel, the official said, adding that no was injured in the incident. The cause of the fire is being ascertained, the official added.

North Kashmir

North Kashmir's Palhallan area observed a spontaneous shutdown on Sunday against the arrest of three local youth.

Locals alleged that forces raided the area last night and arrested three youth. As the word about the arrest spread, locals took to the streets in the morning and staged a massive protest demanding immediate release of the arrested youth. However, forces resorted to massive teargas shelling to disperse the protesters, who retaliated with stones triggering clashes.

NC condemns detention of legislators

The main opposition party National Conference has condemned the detention of its legislators from south Kashmir in Anantnag (Islamabad) while they were on their way to Dooru and said this incident had yet again exposed the "tyrannical and anti-democratic creed" of the current PDP-BJP dispensation.

In a statement here National Conference Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani said the detention of party legislators Altaf Ahmed Kaloo, Abdul Majeed Larmi and Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri indicates Government “desperation” in trying to hide what has happened in Dooru.

“Detaining legislators and disallowing them from reaching out to the people is extremely tragic and highly condemnable. This has exposed Mehbooba Mufti’s tall claims about working towards the restoration of normalcy in the state. When legislators are detained and not allowed to visit a specific area to ascertain the truth – all claims of the Chief Minister stand exposed as hollow rhetoric”, Wani said.

(WITH INPUTS FROM IRFAN AMIN MALIK, SHOWKAT DAR AND ALTAF BABA)