Curfew, clashes, shutdown and protests marked the crucial Friday in Kashmir as authorities foiled the separatists’ proposed march to Srinagar’s Grand Mosque in the old city as part of their protest that started three weeks ago after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter in south Kashmir on July 8.
Sources said that dozens of small and big protest rallies were held in most parts of Kashmir where protesters clashed with police and paramilitaries. The normal life remained crippled in the entire Valley as markets remained shut, businesses paralysed, Government offices off and the educational institutions, banks, courts and post offices closed. Sources said that around 20 persons were injured in clashes with the security forces and many of them were shifted to Srinagar hospitals with pellet injuries.
Chairman of Hurriyat Conference factions Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq attempted to break the restrictions imposed on their movement but they were stopped by the policemen who round-the-clock vigilance their residences. They were taken into custody and escorted to nearby police camps for day-long lodgment. This is third time in past two weeks when the two leaders attempted to march out of their residences but were not allowed. Another separatist leader Yasin Malik has been detained at a police station while most of the separatist leaders and workers have been taken house-arrested or taken into custody.
The separatists had called for a march towards Jamia Masjid in old Srinagar to offer Friday congregational prayers. However, the authorities imposed strict curfew in the area. The Friday afternoon prayers were not held in the mosque for the third consecutive Friday.
Sources said that protesters marched towards the United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) office at Sonwar in Srinagar to submit a memorandum there. However, the police and CRPF personnel swung into action to disperse them. This led to pitched street battles in the area.
Reports of clashes between the protesters and security forces came from north, south and central Kashmir areas also. Sources said that protests were held at Trehgam, Kuligam, lalpora, Regipora, Trehgam, Gushe, Hatmulla, Kawari, Nagri, Vadhpora and Kralpora villages in north kashmir’s Kupwara district. Two persons were injured in clashes with security forces at Delina village in Baramulla district. The clashes also erupted at some places in Bandipora district.
In south Kashmir clashes and protests were reported from Sangam, Naina, Srigufwara, Bijbehara, Keegam, Kakapora, Tahab and Chodrigund in Pulwama.
Deputy Inspector general of Police (south Kashmir) GUlam Hassan Bhat said that two protesters received minor injuries in legs or back due to pellets in Imam Sahib in Shopian district. “They were treated in local hospitals and are stable now,” he said.
The police claimed that the situation throughout Kashmir remained “under control” although there were about 70 incidents of stone pelting across the valley. “The miscreants attacked a number of police and security establishments and camps,” police said in a statement.
Militants lobbed a grenade on the police and CRPF personnel deployed for law and order duty at Shopian. Grenade was later-on defused by the bomb disposal squad. At Rohama, Rafiabad, a Government building was set on fire. The deployments exercised maximum restraint in spite of such serious provocations, police said adding that during the law and order situations 8 persons and 46 police and security force personnel were injured.
The situation in Kashmir took a turn after the security forces shot dead Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and his two associates at a village in Kokernag on July 8 triggering massive public uprising in the region. The authorities in an attempt to squash the uprising used heavy force that killed around 50 civilians, mostly protesters, and wounded around 2000 others. The normal life is out of gear in the Valley and the authorities are struggling to find toehold to intervene.