Clash at Hazratbal shrine despite Govt’s surrender
33 injured in fierce clash at Soura shrine; JKP-CRPF post removed


Ahmed Ali Fayyaz


SRINAGAR, Aug 19: Raising questions over Omar Abdullah government’s competence of holding custody of Kashmir’s revered shrines, a group of people today clashed with Police and Auqaf authorities at Hazratbal even after the administration’s surrender and replacement of the Police deployment. Sixteen civilians and seventeen Police and CRPF personnel sustained injuries in another clash at Janab Sahib Soura. Amid shutdown, demonstrators clashed with security forces at several places including at Seelu in Sopore where at least five civilians and a CRPF soldier sustained injuries.


Daily prayers have not been held at Kashmir’s most revered shrine of Hazratbal since Friday last when a group of people had clashed with Police, captured the public address system and shouted pro-Azadi and anti-India slogans. Residents had later decided not to participate in the mass prayers until the J&K Armed Police company, guarding the shrine, was removed completely. Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Meraj Ahmed Kakroo, in coordination with SSP Srinagar, Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari, and Chief Executive of Muslim Auqaf Trust, Prof M Y Qadiri, had yesterday made an agreement with the residents. The shrine premises were accordingly scheduled to be washed jointly by residents and Auqaf authorities, following which prayers were to be conducted and the JKAP company was to be replaced.


DC Srinagar told Early Times that when the residents and the Auqaf officials were completing the ‘Gusul’ at the shrine, two youth came shouting down from a balcony with the claim that two playing cards had been found on the pulpit. They later created a scene and clashed with Police. He said that the situation was tense but brought under control.


Informed sources added that a group of youngsters shouted anti-Police, anti-India, pro-Azadi and pro-Islam slogans and launched a fierce attack on the Police party outside. SHO Nageen was severely manhandled and beaten up. Police resorted to firing in the air when the Inspector was likely to be lynched by the crowd.


SP Hazratbal, Maqsood-u-Zaman, spoke to Early Times from the shrine late this evening. He said that Police did not use aggressive force and offered to be at the receiving end with the apprehension that a clash would cast a negative effect on the atmosphere at the revered place of worship. He said that the SHO was rescued after he sustained minor injuries. He said that the ‘Gusul’ was completed inspite of the disruption and the evening prayers were also conducted there. Even as most of the residents stood away “for fear of hooligans”, the Auqaf authorities and many others, according to him, participated in the prayers. He said that under the agreement with the residents, he was well in the process of replacing the shrine deployment with a new company of JKAP 8th Bn. However, some residents said over telephone that the youth, who created a scene, did not leave until they locked entire shrine premises.


In a statement this evening, Dukhtaraan-e-Millat Chairperson, Asiya Andrabi, said that the shrine would remain “continuously locked” till the government withdrew its Police and forces from Hazratbal completely. She said that some “government agents” entered the shrine to open the mosque forcibly but the people around attacked the Police and dragged everybody out after finding playing cards “and other objectionable things”. She asserted that the shrine and mosque would remain locked until the forces withdrew fully from the revered place of worship.


Another revered shrine, Janab Sahib Soura, remained scene of fierce clashes between residents and Police/CRPF for about 24 hours since last evening. Holy relics of Prophet Mohammad are preserved at Hazratbal and Soura shrines where large prayer congregations take place on all auspicious days of the Islamic calendar, particularly the holy month of Ramazan.


Informed sources said that hundreds of residents from different localities of Soura-Anchar belt shouted pro-Azadi, pro-Islam and anti-India slogans and launched intermittent attacks on a CRPF-Police platoon headquarters outside Janab Sahib Soura from evening to the midnight last. In the forenoon today, a 2,000-strong crowd launched another attack on the camp of CRPF 158 Bn. Residents, however, insisted that the clash occurred after CRPF and Police trooped into houses, roughed up inmates and smashed window panes.


Sources said that during the fierce daytime clash, the crowds dismantled CRPF bunkers and resorted to heavy stone pelting on the camp. They also cordoned a bullet-proof bunker and caused extensive damage to the carriage. During this clash, CRPF opened fire that left at least four civilians injured. Sources said that 12 more civilians besides 12 CRPF and 5 JKP personnel also sustained injuries in the daylong clashes at Janab Sahib. Residents alleged that CRPF barged into residential houses and opened indiscriminate gunfire on inmates, causing gunshot wounds to three members of a particular family.


CRPF spokesman and Commanding Officer of 117 Bn, Prabhakar Tripathi, told Early Times that the unruly mob dismantled several bunkers and structures and also caused considerable damage to a bullet-proof bunker. He said that CRPF opened fire in order to rescue the men in the bunker. According to him, three of the demonstrators sustained injuries in the shootout and they were rushed to the nearby SKIMS. He said that 12 CRPF men besides 5 Police personnel also sustained injuries in today’s clashes at Soura. “We are vacating the area and withdrawing the CRPF-Police camp permanently tonight”, he said.


Medical Superintendent at SKIMS, Dr Syed Amin Tabish, said that four persons with firearm injuries and 12 others with other types of injuries from Soura were admitted to SKIMS. Three of them belonged to one family. He said that Habibullah Tiploo was admitted with gunshot wound in his chest, his daughter Sumaira with gunshot wounds in her chest and abdomen and another member of the family, namely Fatima, with a gunshot injury in her leg. He said that Sumaira was critical but all the four were reported as stable late tonight. He said that one person with gunshot injuries came in from Sopore.


Sources in North Kashmir said that a crowd attacked a CRPF party while it was withdrawing from daylong deployment at Chinkipora in outskirts of Sopore this evening. Assistant Commandant of CRPF 177 Bn, S K Dass, who was leading the party, was severely injured when someone hurled a broken bottle on his neck. Sources said that at least four of the demonstrators also sustained injuries in the retaliatory action.


Earlier today, sources said, a thick crowd attacked a CRPF camp at Seelu on Sopore-Kupwara Road. This came after at least four of similar attacks on the armed forces camps at Seelu in the last ten days. One CRPF soldier broke his jaw when he was hit in his mouth. Sources said that at least one civilian sustained gunshot wounds and over a dozen others got injured in stone pelting and stampede.


Amid near-total shutdown on the call of Hurriyat Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, besides declared and undeclared curfew in several urban localities, including downtown Srinagar, an 8-year-old boy, namely Meelad Ahmed Dar S/o Mohammad Amin Dar R/o Wanpora Khudwani, Kulgam, succumbed to injuries at a hospital today. He had got critically injuries during a fierce clash of demonstrators and CRPF in his locality on August 14th.


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