Taj’s anti-NHPC tirade takes first life in Uri
Student killed, 5 injured as CISF opens fire on demonstrators
Murder case registered * 5 CISF men arrested * Taj, Nasir, Khoda visit spot
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
Informed sources in north Kashmir told Early Times that residents of nearly 20 villages around NHPC base at Gingal, Boniyar, gathered in the forenoon and began staging a demonstration. They demanded that NHPC should immediately fulfill its year 1989 promises with the local population. The promises made at the time of setting up 480 mw Uri Civil power project, according to the demonstrators, included free power supply to the villages affected by the project, one job to each of the families who provided land besides free education and free medical treatment to all patients in the locality.
Sub Divisional Police Officer Uri, Sub Divisional Magistrate Uri and Station House Officer Boniyar appeared at the spot and persuaded the demonstrators to disperse peacefully. They assured the gathering that they would take up the matter with DC Baramulla who, in turn, would ensure that free power was provided to the area by NHPC. Even as the gathering relented and decided to defer their agitation by a couple of days, CISF guards opened fire at around 1300 hours. A class 12th student, namely Altaf Ahmad Sood S/o Bashir Ahmad Sood, died on spot and five others sustained injuries.
While as two of the injured demonstrators were treated at a Public Health Centre at Boniyar, two more with gunshot wounds were evacuated and rushed to Baramulla. By late tonight, both the persons treated at Boniyar as also one admitted to District Hospital Baramulla had been discharged. However, one person was still under treatment at DH Baramulla.
Sources said that the demonstrators went panicky with the firing at Boniyar, 29 Km from Baramulla on the National Highway Jammu
Within two hours, a helicopter landed at an Army encampment at Rampur
Residents conducted the burial of the youth killed amid official announcement that Rs one lakh would be paid as ex gratia relief to the bereaved family alongwith one government job or compensation of Rs 4 lakhs. Within hours, DC Baramulla ordered a magisterial inquiry that would be conducted by Additional DC
At a hurriedly called press conference in Jammu
Sharing details with media, Mr Sharma said that the residents of Rampur
Mr Sharma said that Deputy Commissioner and SSP of Baramulla rushed to the spot immediately. DC Baramulla had been directed to provide immediate ex-gratia to the family of the deceased besides Rs 50,000 to each of the injured, he said.
He asserted that the CISF troops, who opened fire, were not part of the Counter Insurgency Grid in J&K and they had been deployed by the NHPC directly for the security of its installations across the State. He said that the State Government had taken up the matter with the Union Home Ministry, lodged “serious protest” and demanded stern exemplary action against the delinquent officers.
He said the protest was against the NHPC which should have sought the assistance of the local law and order machinery rather than dealing with the situation on its own.
Sarpanch of Bela Salamabad, Raja Javed, who was among the representatives dealing with the officials, told Early Times that NHPC had signed a written agreement with residents of nearly 20 villages of Boniyar area in 1989 that it would provide free electricity, free education and free medical treatment to the local population. According to him, it was recorded and duly signed by both the parties in the agreement that one job would be provided to each of the families who provided land, though on compensation, for construction of the prestigious 480 mw Uri Civil power project. Even as the residents raked up the issue, made all possible efforts to get the promises fulfilled and staged demonstrations, NHPC remained unmoved in the last 22 years.
Raja Javed said that on Friday last, residents gathered and staged a demonstration to press their demands--- particularly that of the free power supply. He said that they deferred the agitation till January 2nd when SDM, SDPO and SHO assured them that they would get their demands realized with the intervention of DC Baramulla. When nothing came through, residents gathered again today and decided to take their agitation to logical conclusion. He said that inspite of no action by the authorities in the last five days, residents agreed to further defer their agitation.
“When we were dispersing and returning to our homes, CISF guards came out of a bunker without any provocation. They opened indiscriminate firing on the peaceful demonstrators. We saw them out on the highway and firing indiscriminately. One boy, namely Altaf Ahmad Sood, who was a class 12th student of Govt Higher Secondary School Boniyar and was returning to home from tuition, was shot directly and killed. Five others sustained injuries”, Raja Javed said. He said that announcement of ex gratia relief and registration of murder case, besides arrest of five CISF guards, had assuaged the feelings of one family but not solved the real problem of the vast area.
Raja Javed said that the agitation would continue till all the peoples’ demands were conceded and implemented. He said that inspite of the NHPC’s 480 mw power plant, Boniyar area was getting paid electric supply from state government for just one or two hours a day. He claimed to be in possession of the agreement that makes NHPC bound to provide uninterrupted, free power supply to the area.
SP Baramulla, Dr Haseeb Mughal, claimed that tension was receding remarkably after the high level delegation’s visit to Boniyar. He said that the burial of the youth took place peacefully. He said that Police had registered a murder case, got five of CISF men disarmed and arrested. He said that the matter was under investigation as to what forced CISF to open fire.
Efforts to contact General Manager of CISF at Boniyar failed as his phone was continuously not reachable.
END
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