Stone pelters back in action after 2 weeks 

Eight injured in clashes at several places

                                

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Nov 19: With most of the people still celebrating festivity of Eid-ul-Azha, at least 8 persons, including a Police official, sustained injuries, when separatist stone pelters returned to the streets after two weeks and engaged Police in ding dong battles at several places in the Valley.

Indicating resurgence of turbulence on the next shutdown day of hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani tomorrow, groups of separatist stone pelters today shouted anti-India and pro-Azadi slogans while engaging Police and paramilitary forces in ding dong clashes at several places in the Valley. Even as people at large were still busy with Eid-ul-Azha celebrations on the third consecutive day of the Islamic festival, stone pelters returned to the streets at over a dozen places and engaged Police and CRPF in intermittent skirmishes.

Informed sources said that immediately after the weekly Friday afternoon prayers concluded at Jamia Masjid, dozens of youth surfaced in Nowhatta-Bohrikadal area in downtown Sribnagar and began shouting pro-Azadi and anti-India slogans. Breaking calm of the last two weeks, these youngsters hurled stone in the direction of Police and CRPF vehicles, besides civilian traffic, and engaged Police in ding dong battles. This inspite of the fact that Geelani or any other separatist leader had not called for a shutdown today. After days of Eid festivity, Geelani has asked the Kashmiris to observe a shutdown on Thursday.

Sources said that the violent demonstrators clashed with Police. They insisted that eight persons, including a Police official, sustained injuries in the subsequent stone pelting and clashes. Reports said that transport and other commercial activities were operational but shops remained closed, alongwith some schools.

It was after a peaceful fortnight that youngsters with stones in their hands surfaced on the streets at Nowhatta, Magharmal Bagh, Hyderpora and Galwanpora. They began shouting slogans and hurling stones on the bunkers and vehicles of CRPF and BSF. “It was clearly a pattern today. There was nothing from Government and security forces to protest against. People were busy with celebrations of Eid-ul-Fitr. But, groups of unruly youth came back on the streets after two weeks and they began pelting stones”, a Police official said. He too confirmed that eight to ten people sustained injuries in today’s clashes. However, he added, tearsmoke or firing in air were not used by Police or CRPF in retaliation.

A mild attack on CRPF this evening by some youngsters, who carried stones in carrybags, at Tagore Hall was surprising for Police in the sense that such an activity had never been witnessed at Tagore Halll in the last 20 years. SP South, Mohammad Irshad, said that Police swung into action and caught four youngsters red-handed. They belonged to Safakadal, Batmaloo and Solina areas. He said that earlier this evening, another group of youngsters pelted stones on Police and CRPF vehicles at Magahrmal Bagh. Stone pelting was also received from Hyderpora and Galwanpora in the capital city outskirts.

Reports said that violent clashes between Police and demonstrators also took place, evidently in an organized pattern, at Murran Chowk and Rajpora Chowk, besides Kakpora and dalipora in Pulwama. Similar clashes also happened at Cement Bridge, Khanpora and Azad Gung in Baramulla town.

An official spokesman added: “In the afternoon today, some miscreants  attempted to disrupt peace at Murran chowk and  Rajpora chowk in district Pulwama,  by resorting to heavy  stone pelting on Police and security forces deployments. Similar incidents were reported from Baramulla, where miscreants surfaced at cement bridge and Khanpora areas, and resorted to  stone pelting on Police and security forces.

“Late in the evening miscreants pelted stones on a security forces near Tagore Hall and Magarmal bagh- Srinagar, One constable suffered injury in the incident. However, Police and security forces exercised maximum restraint while dealing with the situation. Miscreants were later chased away, and situation in these areas was brought to normal”.

END