Hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel are manning every street in capital Srinagar, guarding coils of concertina wire blocking main thoroughfares and ensuring civilian movement remains negligible. This is the 44th day on Sunday since unrest began in Kashmir after spontaneous protests against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. In the evening, pellets fired to disperse an agitating mob, hit a bystander Irfan Ahmad, 19, at Malarta in old Srinagar. His heart was pierced with pellets and doctors at SMHS Hospital declared him dead on arrival. Elsewhere in valley, 83 persons were injured in the daylong clashes.
The normal life as out of gear as it was six weeks ago. There is no end to the situation in sight. The Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition Government is invisible on the ground, except for the jackboots and the barrel of gun.
The authorities continued to impose curfew most parts of Srinagar city, Anantnag and Pampore towns in south Kashmir while curfew-like restrictions remained imposed in other major towns and villages across the valley.
The authorities have imposed night curfew in Srinagar since August 17 while the Army has taken over the main highways to ensure traffic movement especially the passage of convoys. The movement of convoys was hampered due to presence of huge numbers of protesters on the roads and compelled the army authorities to conduct the convoys during the night. However, an attack on a Baramulla-bound convoy last week that killed two Army and one police personnel exposed the vulnerability of the nocturnal travelling.
The authorities are making the curfew stricter with each passing day. On Sunday, all entry and exit points leading to city Centre lal Chowk were sealed. Commuters were not allowed to cross the barricades at these points. Several residents complained that their curfew passes issued by the authorities were not entertained. “I had to take an alternate route to reach SMHS hospital where my relative, hit by pellets, is undergoing treatment,” Ali Muhammad, a resident of south Kashmir’s Tral area said.
Sources said that five drivers of milk vans were beaten up by security forces at Newa in Pulwama district in the wee hours when they were on way to Srinagar. One of the drivers Sajjad Ahmad was admitted to hospital with a broken arm. Reports said that several people attending a marriage party were beaten up at a village in north Kashmir’s Sopore area.
Sources said that the people living in old city areas are facing acute shortage of life saving medicines and are unable to visit hospitals to attend to their patients. The supplies of milk, baby food and vegetables are also reportedly affected in Srinagar city. Several media persons complained that the cops manning the city’s streets hampered their late evening movement despite instructions on the contrary from the authorities.
During the six weeks of unrest and disorder, with the Sunday evening killing of Irfan Ahmad, 64 civilians, mostly in the age group of 15 to 35 years have been killed by the police and security forces to quell public uprising. Two policemen have also died in clashes with protesters. The Army has ordered probe in two cases —the killing of two women and a teenager in Qazigund and beating to death a college lecturer at Sharshali village in Khrew. The court has ordered probe into the killing of a civilian in Batamaloo whose parents alleged that a middle-rung officer opened fire on the victim inside his home. last week, the body of the slain youngster was exhumed for autopsy.
Thousands of people including security personnel have been injured in the protests. More than 300 civilians have been hit by pellets in their eyes. The State Government on Saturday told J&K High Court that majority of victims have “multiple structural damage” to their eyeballs.
Mobile internet services continued to remain suspended in the Valley while private postpaid mobile phone services were restored after remaining suspended for six days-second time in last 43 days. The outgoing call facility is barred on prepaid mobiles.
The separatist groups who are spearheading the agitation have announced shutdown till August 25 but asked the people to resume activities between 6 pm and 6 am. The stricter curfew has failed the separatists’ programmes.