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| Friday aggression: Valley ‘explodes’, one more killed | | Anti SASB protests travel to Jammu region; Doda Kishtwar shut | | Early Times Reporter
Srinagar/Jammu | June 27
The civilian toll today mounted to four as entire Valley erupted in aggressive protests and demonstrations and authorities had clamp curfew in south Kashmir town of Pulwama when protestors outnumbered the security forces.
Today being Friday was a tough time for the administration and the security forces to face the protestors who spilled over roads in tens of thousands after the Friday prayers. Observers described today’s protest as largest after early 1990s.
While the educational institutions still remained closed, the Public Service Commission had to postpone the interviews scheduled for June 30 as no possibility was seen in ebbing of protests. According to a notification issued by J&K Public Service Commission Srinagar, the interview for the posts of “lecturer 10+2 Education” in School Education Department scheduled to be held at Srinagar from 30.06.2008 is postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. The next date of interview shall be notified separately, said a PSC statement.
Meanwhile, first time after the eruption of controversy over transfer of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, the protests spread to Muslim majority districts of Doda and Kishtwar in Jammu region. A complete bandh was observed in these two districts on the call given by separatists and supported by militants.
Reports said that a woman died in Maisuma area of old Srinagar City after being hit by tear gas shells which the security forces were throwing on violent protestors. The deceased woman has been identified as Nighat Jan daughter of Ghulam Ahmad Bhat of Maisuma who was hit by a tear gas shell leading to her critical injuries when she was standing near her house in Maisuma area of the city.
Reports pouring in from different parts of Valley said that the normal life was thrown completely out of gear in the city and other parts of the valley which observed a complete shut down in protest against the transfer of land to SASB. While the shops and other business establishment remained closed, attendance in the government offices remained thin due to the non-plying of commercial vehicles.
Eyewitnesses' accounts revealed that people throng to street after Friday prayers from all the major and small mosques of the city. Led by various separatist leaders and head of the mosques, the people marched on the city roads and chanted slogans against government, security forces and chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
The main protest demonstration emerged from Jamia Masjid Nowhata. The protestors were soon joined by other protest demonstrations from Dalgate, Nishat, Sonwar, Nowgam, Batmaloo, Bag-e-Mehtab, and Hyderpora.
Soon the city was flooded with people and anti-government slogans were load in air. Chanting slogans like Yatrion Ka Hum Khair Makdam Kartay Hain, Azad-Mufti Hai Hai the protestors were all in fire and tone was visible from the faces and slogans.
Protesting youth at Lal Chowk assembled near the Clock Tower (Ghantaghar) and hoisted green flags on the tower. The tower it is pertinent to mention here has a great significance in Kashmir history and it was the same place where the then prime minister of India Jawahar Lal Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah had addressed the public soon after partition of India.
Security personnel had to use force to quell violent protests in many areas like Nowshera, Soura, Rainawari, Braripora, Rambagh, Tengpora, Noorbagh and Eidgah. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers opened fire at a mob at Rainawari in old city after Friday prayers, injuring two people. This led to considerable panic and tension in the area.
Reports revealed that late in the evening when the protestors returned back some angry youth set ablaze a van of Airtel at Khanyar in the downtown area of the city. Sources said that some protestors pelted stones on security forces at Fateh Kadal. The troopers resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob. At least ten persons, including a trooper were injured in the ding dong battle that followed. CRPF personnel later fired some rounds in air to disperse the protestors. |
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