2 killed, 100 injured in Srinagar, Sopore clashes

Hurriyat extends shutdown, ‘Go India Go Back’ slogan shouted from Srinagar mosques

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jun 28: With the situation in Valley deteriorating fast and several politicians demanding Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s resignation after a Cabinet Minister’s admission of command and control failure, two more youngsters today died in CRPF firing in Sopore area and over a hundred others sustained injuries in day-long clashes between demonstrators and paramilitary forces. Hurriyat arranged ‘Go India Go Back’ slogans at several mosques in Srinagar besides some Sopore-bound rallies amid yet another shutdown in Kashmir valley.

Detained separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s “Sopore Chalo” call evoked substantial response in the so-called moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s stronghold in downtown Srinagar. Even as Mirwaiz and most of his Hurriyat colleagues remained under “house arrest”, thousands of people gathered at the old Mirwaiz Manzil amid shutdown in Valley. Geelani had called for today’s shutdown and asked people to march to Sopore for showing solidarity with the families whose children had died in CRPF firing in the last few days.

Mirwaiz had made an identical call on Friday last. Though there was shutdown all over the Valley on that day, no such congregation was witnessed. Geelani’s new slogan “Go India Go Back” reverberated through public address system of scores of mosques in the Mirwaiz bastion as also in the rally of the traditional supporters of the young cleric-politician. Authorities allowed the rally to proceed to Sopore via Nallah Maar Road but intercepted it at Hokarsar Wetland Reserve on Srinagar-Sopore highway. Suddenly a fierce clash took place between a heavy bandobust of Police-CRPF and the men in the rally.

While Police and CRPF used teargas, batons and stones to disperse the crowds, demonstrators put up strong resistance. They even overpowered CRPF soldiers and trampled them with severe beating with batons and brickbats. Ding dong clashes continued for over three hours. A crowd of nearly 2,000 people attacked Parimpora Police Station. However, after great deal of trouble, Police and CRPF succeeded in dispersing the demonstrations. This kind of clash was witnessed by mediapersons for the first time in last several years. Over 50 Police and CRPF personnel and demonstrators are estimated to have sustained injuries in today’s clashes in downtown Srinagar and on the highway from Parimpora to Hokersar.
Those injured in these intermittent clashes included half-a-dozen mediapersons, mostly camera crews of television news channels and photographers of Srinagar-based newspapers. Some of them said that they were caught between the warring demonstrators and CRPF but others alleged that Police and CRPF officials abused them loudly and roughed them up on two occasions.

Senior Police officials tonight maintained that the situation was tense but under control. They insisted that the shutdown had little impact and a large number of shops were open in defiance of the call for shutdown in Srinagar and several other townships. According to them, there was no disturbance in the capital city other than “a few clashes” between demonstrators and Police-CRPF combine on Nallah Maar and a couple of places in uptown.

Sources in north Kashmir said that hundreds of people converged on streets in violation of curfew restrictions in Sopore to participate in the funeral of a youth who had died during the course of a clash between residents and paramilitary forces last evening. In the background of the youth’s funeral, large number of residents raised pro-Azadi, pro-Islam and anti-India slogans and later clashed with Police and CRPF at several places.

In one of these bitter clashes, CRPF opened fire. An 18-year-old, Tajamul Bashir Bhat S/o Bashir Ahmed Bhat got killed and few others sustained injuries. Later in the day, 9-year-old boy, Tariq Ahmed Rather S/o Ghulam Hassan Rather of Delina, got killed and three others sustained gunshot wounds when Police and CRPF opened fire during a fierce clash between participants of yet another Sopore-bound rally and armed forces at Delina on Baramulla-Sopore highway.

Sources said that in response to Geelani’s call, people of Uri-Baramulla belt formed a rally and began marching towards Sopore. It was intercepted by Police and CRPF at Delina and dispersed with the use of teargas, baton charge and firing.

Reports from north Kashmir added that participants of yet another Sopore-bound rally attacked Police Station of Kralgund in Handwara Police district. Handwara and Kupwara observed total shutdown. Sources said that in a fierce clash between Police and demonstrators at Police Station Kralgund, about 20 Police personnel and equal number of civilians sustained injuries. The injured included SP of Handwara, one Dy SP, SHO Kralgund and several personnel of other ranks.

Senior Police officials put the number of the injured in today’s clashes at around 50. According to them, 30 to 35 Police and CRPF personnel sustained injuries in these clashes. They confirmed that one SSP, one SP, one Dy SP,, one Inspector and two ASIs were among the injured. They said that two civilians had got killed and about 20 sustained injuries. However, independent reports insisted that more than 100 people, including 30 Police and CRPF men had sustained injuries.

In view of fresh flare up, authorities have extended curfew to Baramulla township. They said that curfew would continue without relaxation in the twin towns of Sopore and Baramulla.

Meanwhile, Hurriyat (Geelani) has modified its shutdown calendar in view of today’s casualties and clashes. It has now called a total shutdown in Valley on June 29th and 30th. It has also asked the Kashmiri women to march to Pathar Masjid (Srinagar) on July 1st. It has now called for “Iddgah Chalo” on July 2nd. Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat has called for shutdown till July 3rd and asked people to converge on streets.

With two more youngsters getting killed today, as many as 8 youth have died in CRPF firing in Srinagar and Sopore since June 11th.

END