Houses of NC leader, ex-MLC attacked

Geelani relaxes shutdown for one working day in next 12 days

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Sep 14: Separatist stone pelters today targeted some camps of security forces and houses of two mainstream politicians in Kashmir valley. However, in contrast to yesterday’s bloodshed, there was no fatal casualty today as not more than three persons sustained minor injuries in a couple of clashes. Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani has, meanwhile, issued yet another shutdown calendar and exempted just one working day from agitation in the next 12 days.

After yesterday’s mayhem, that left one Policeman and as many as 17 civilian demonstrators and arsonists dead, Kashmir valley today remained calm in the sense that just three persons sustained minor injuries in a couple of clashes with police and CRPF. Informed sources said that in addition to around 30 incidents of stone pelting by thin groups at different places, some camps of security forces as also houses of two mainstream politicians were targeted today.

According to these sources, a group of demonstrators attacked the house of the ruling National Conference’s Kashmir Province chief and former MLA of Chadoura, Ali Mohammad Dar, at Dooniwari village. His house guards fired in fir and chased away the stone pelters. In a similar incident, house of a former MLC, Habibullah, was targeted at Watpora near Bandipore. There was no casualty or damage in these attacks.

During last night, a group of people swooped on the residence of some Police constables and torched their beddings and belongings at KP Road in Anantnag. Miscreants also torched a private school at Pulwama in South Kashmir. Residence and cowshed of a Police constable was torched at Thindam in Kreeri area of Baramulla district. Miscreants set on fire slaughter house at Handwara today but Police and fire brigades quickly swung into action and saved the public property from total devastation. Three Police personnel, including SHO, were injured in the clash with stone pelters.

Stone pelters also attacked two camps of armed forces at Zainakote and Boatmen’s Colony, in Srinagar outskirts, and yet another camp at Khanpora, in Baramulla outskirts. Forces managed to disperse the crowds. One each civilian demonstrator sustained injuries in these mild attacks. All three were rushed to hospital.

Sources at SKIMS, Soura, said that in yet another attack, stone pelters left three of the hospital staff, including an associate professor, injured and their vehicles damaged. They said that some hooligans also damaged the tertiary care hospital’s boundary wall.

Curfew remained strictly in forces on the third consecutive day in Srinagar as well as all other major townships across Valley. It was simultaneously a day of shutdown in Geelani’s calendar. Like on every second day this year, Valley remained frozen with all educational institutions and essential services shut.

Releasing yet another shutdown calendar today, Geelani announced that there would be total shutdown in Kashmir on Sep 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25 and 26. He announced relaxation on just one working day on Sep 22 and also asked the Kashmiris to enjoy a day of “shopping” on Sep 19th (Sunday) that happens to a holiday for, educational institutions, banks and government offices.

He called for mass march of South Kashmir residents to Pampore on Sep 17 and asked the residents of three Central Kashmir districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal to march to Humhama on the same day. People of North Kashmir have been asked to march to their respective district headquarters of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipore. He asked computer users to register their strong protest against the “Indian occupation” and human rights abuse on Facebook and other Internet domains on Sep 18th. Geelani himself is a member of the American social networking site.

Asserting his writ parallel to that of the government, Geelani asked all concerned to keep banks, business centers and banks, besides educational institutions open on Sep 19th (Sunday). He called upon the Kashmir to stage a mass march to UNMOGIP headquarters at Sonwar with a resolution of plebiscite on Sep 20 and wanted them to join sit-in demonstrations in front of camps of armed forces across the Valley on Sep 21.

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