news details |
|
|
| Valley edged: Interviews, marriage ceremonies cancelled | | Geelani-sponsored Iddgah Chalo onJune 7th, Shopian Chalo on June 9th | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, Jun 5: Holding the National Conference-led coalition government by its neck, separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani has not only extended his call for shutdown in Valley to two more days but also asked the Kashmiris to march to Shopian on Monday next to register their protest against the alleged rape-cum-murder of two young woman last week.
Even as the 5th and the last announced day of shutdown in Kashmir valley came to an end this evening, Hurriyat (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, declared through his secretary that Kashmir would remain shut for business to more days. Now the 7th consecutive day of Geelani-sponsored shutdown would end in the evening on June 7th. Geelani had initially called for a one-day shutdown on June 1st but subsequently extended it to June 5th. He has also supported Dukhtaraan-e-Millat-sponsored June 7th march to Iddgah and called for a mass march to Shopian on June 8th.
Continuously in detention at his home, Geelani was scheduled to decide about “future course of action” in a meeting of his Hurriyat Conference which failed to happen when Police laid siege to his house and did not allow anybody to enter or come out of the separatists leader’s Hyderpora residence. Reports said that searches were also conducted at Geelani’s house but nobody had been taken into custody by Police. This dimension of the continuously increasing stand-off between the authorities and the separatist leader has snowballed into a serious challenge for Omar Abdullah’s government which has been completely crippled in the wake of Geelani-sponsored strike in Valley.
Like on the last four days, there were reports of near-total shutdown in this capital city as well as all other district headquarters and major townships. Reports said that commercial traffic was off the road and few private and government vehicles operated. Shops, business establishments, educational institutions and banks remained closed. Attendance was thin at the government offices that functioned today.
Reports pouring in from different quarters said that the authorities had cancelled all interviews for admissions and recruitments and most of the marriage ceremonies, scheduled in the month of June, had been cancelled or postpones, particularly in Srinagar.
Like on the last four days, clashes continued between demonstrators and Police/CRPF in which over a dozen civilians and at least three Police personnel were reportedly injured. Reports said that such clashes took place at more than a dozen places in Srinagar and at least eight places in other districts. Police retaliated with baton charge and tearsmoke at several places.
Meanwhile, contrary to bitter clashes between people and Police/CRPF at several places, a number of residents gathered at Bemina Crossing and evacuated all the six CRPF personnel who had sustained serious injuries when their Gypsy collided with an Alto car. Eyewitnesses said that the civilians rescued all the six injured personnel to SKIMS Medical College Hospital at Bemina, took their arms and ammunition into custody and later returned it all to a CRPF officer who was impressed with this human gesture of the civilians.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
