Kashmir Mayhem Continues, 8 Killed In A Day
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
02 August, 2010
Agence India Press
Srinagar: Eight more people including 8- year old boy were killed in police and paramilitary firing on Monday as violence continued across the Kashmir Valley with the curfew proving ineffective to curb protesters.
The eight deaths were reported from Kralpora (two), sangam (two), Kulgam (two) and Kakpora (one) and Batamaloo (one).
There was no let-up in protests for the fourth straight day on Monday in Kashmir. In which several government buildings set ablaze by angry mobs that defied curfew in most parts of the valley.
A police spokesman said rampaging mobs defied the curfew in Pulwama, Anantnag, Kulgam in south Kashmir, Kupwara in north Kashmir and Budgam in central Kashmir.
In Budgam protesters set ablaze CMO office, Horticulture office and Tehsil Office, police said.
The protesters also attacked the Railway Station in Budgam and set a shed on fire. The angry protesters also attack on Police Station in Budgam. Protesters set ablaze a boogie of a train at Ompora, they said.
Scores of protesters raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans defied curfew in Budgam and tried to march towards Chanapora.
The Hurriyat Conference led by Syad Ali Shah Geelani as a part of its Quit Kashmir Campaign had asked people to march to Chanapora to express condolences with the family of a youth killed in police and CRPF action on Friday.
Security forces fired in the air and lobbed tear-smoke shell to control the restive procession.
The stone pelting incidents were also reported from Kralpora Kupwara, Chursoo Awantipora and Kakpora Pulwama.
Protesters blocked Srinagar-Jammu Highway at Sangam Anantnag and Pampore. In Kakpora Pulwama a violent mob set Police Post Kakapora on fire.
According to police spokesman, the protesters tried to enter the Kralpora, Kupwara Police station and ransack it. Police and the troopers tried to disperse the mobs by using tear smoke and baton charge and other means of chasing the stone-pelters. However, when the stone-pelters did not relent and continued to indulge themselves in arson and damage to public property at Budgam, Kralpora Kupwara, Sangam Anantnag and at Chawalgam Kulgam, security men had to fire in which three persons lost their lives. 15 persons got injured in these incidents which include nine civilians, five police and a CRPF cops.
Despite the curfew, scores of agitated, unruly mobs broke the restrictions and took to the streets in a number of areas in the city, raising anti-India slogans and engaging the deployed security forces in pitched clashes.
Meanwhile, authorities enforced a strict curfew in Kashmir on Monday after eight people died in a day of violent clashes between people and security forces.
In the late night when this report was filed, most parts of Kupwara and Handwara in the North Kashmir were reverberating with slogans and sounds of gunfire. Thousands of people were raising pro-freedom slogans through mosque loud speakers. Massive processions are being taken out in the dark across Kupwara.
Police and Para military forces are firing from their automatic rifles to keep the protesters at bay.
In some areas paramilitary and police forces are acting as mute spectators.
There are similar reports of night time protests across Kashmir.
In Kulgam this evening, firing indiscriminately, killing one teenanger Rameez Ahmad S/O Late Abdul Rasheed Bhat, aged 16 on the spot and injuring three others, one of them critically. Rameez, whose father had expired only few days back, received bullet on the left side of the chest on the heart.
After this news spread in the locality, thousands of people, including women and children, came on the streets and are staging protests. They were also clashing with police and CRPF men who were lobbing tear canisters and resorting to aerial firing.
In Sangam the protesters attacked the private School and broke the furniture and window panes. The school is being run by the ruling National Conference MLC from Aishmuqam.
In another late evening incident, a boy of 8- years was allegedly beaten by police and paramilitary forces resulting in his death. The slain boy identified as Sameer Ahmad Rah son of Fayaz Ahmad Rah of Sheikh Dawood Colony, Batmaloo. Eyewitnesses told Agence India Press that the boy was beaten to death in the evening when a group of paramilitary forces and police chased a group of peaceful protesters. The boy was a bystander and was whisked away by the marauding forces and beaten to death. Hundreds of people are on the streets protesting the killing demanding stern action against the killers. The protests are still going on as this report was being filed.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani has urged people to assemble at Eidgah on Tuesday while he asserted that the rally will be peaceful if the government doesn’t impose restrictions.
Calling on people to join him peacefully from SKIMS at 2:00 pm for Eidgah where he said the future protest programme will be unveiled and resolutions will be passed.
“Besides, funeral prayers in absentia (Gayabana Nimaz-e-Jinaza) will be offered for the civilians killed across Valley in recent times,” he said, adding “Our activity will be peaceful and the government will not need guns, troops and forces on roads.”
The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram in Delhi Monday, told reporters at a press conference later that the present cycle of violence must end before a political initiative is taken to address the political causes of the turmoil in Kashmir.
The burning crisis took centre-stage in Parliament with LK Advani saying "the Prime Minister should explain what the government is doing to control the situation there".
"It should be told what all has been done to control the situation in Kashmir. What are the facts? The police are saying we have never seen a situation like this before. The house would like to know what's the situation," said Advani.
More than 200 people including police and CRPF have been injured during the last four days in violence.
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