THE BURNING KASHMEER

Killings-Protests-Killings
*BEMINA YOUTH DIES IN FIRING, IQBAL SUCCUMBS* CURFEW DEFIED; CLASHES CONTINUE
GOWHAR BHAT

Srinagar, Aug 4: Paramilitary CRPF troopers shot dead a youth in uptown here, while a youth injured in Police and CRPF firing at Chanapora last Friday succumbed to his injuries at SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) here on Wednesday. With the killing of two more youth today the death toll in the 55-day Kashmir unrest mounted to 47. Policemen and paramilitary CRPF troopers with shoot-at-sight orders continued to impose strict curfew in the 10 districts of the Valley for the sixth consecutive day today. However, people defied curfew at many places and staged protests. In the clashes at least 18 persons were wounded.

YOUTH SHOT DEAD IN BEMINA
“A patrolling party of CRPF opened fire on a group of youth near Nund Reshi colony Bemina this evening. A bullet hit one of the youth Muhammad Yaqoob Bhat son of Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf Bhat. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead,” witnesses told Greater Kashmir.
As the word about Bhat’s death spread in the area hundreds of people took to the streets and staged massive pro-freedom demonstrations. Protests were on when this report was filed.

CHANAPORA YOUTH DIES
Muhammad Iqbal Khan, 22, son of Abdul Majid Khan of Lone Mohalla, Chanapora who had sustained bullet injuries in police and CRPF action last Friday breathed his last at SKIMS Soura this evening. “He has expired. We had tried to operate upon him but his injuries were fatal,” an on duty doctor told Greater Kashmir.
The victim had sustained grievous injuries on his neck and face and was on a ventilator since Friday.
Pall of gloom descended over Chanapora when Iqbal’s body reached there. Hundreds of people, including men, women and children, took to the streets and staged pro-freedom demonstrations.
Police and CRPF men fired scores of rounds of air after they failed to disperse the youth who resorted to stone pelting at Natipora and Chanpora areas. Forces and protesters were locked in pitched battles when the last reports came in. As the word about Iqbal’s death spread in the city people defied curfew and staged demonstrations.

MAN SHOT AT IN GANPATYAR
“Paramilitary CRPF troopers shot at and injured a man, Ghulam Ahmed, at Ganpatyar Habba Kadal on Wednesday evening,” witnesses said. They said the injured was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. Unconfirmed reports said another youth also sustained bullet injuries in the CRPF firing.

STRICT CURFEW
Curfew remained imposed in the Srinagar for the sixth day running today even as authorities issued shoot-at-sight orders to contain the protests, which have been spiraling since the past one-week. Police and CRPF vehicles fitted with public address system made rounds of several uptown and downtown localities asking people to stay indoors failing which they shall be fired upon.
However, protesters, mainly young boys, at Barthana, Qamarwari—where a youth Meraj-ud-din Lone, 23, was killed by forces yesterday—defied curfew and staged pro-freedom demonstrations on the main road. They also set ablaze a government vehicle to vent their anger against the killings.
The downtown localities including Khanyar, Nowpora, Nowhatta, Rainawari, Bohri Kadal, Fateh Kadal and other neighbourhoods where people defied curfew yesterday remained calm as no one ventured out of his home in view of the shoot-at-sight orders.
Police and CRPF men didn’t allow people to pray inside Masjids as youth have been using the loud speakers to raise the pro-freedom slogans during the past few days.
At Nawa Kadal, witnesses said, CRPF men fired several shots in air to scare away people who were standing on roadsides and impose curfew.
Locals at Kak Sarai said police and CRPF, as an act of vengeance against protesters, have been snapping the power and cable TV wires.
Several residents called Greater Kashmir office saying that forces have even short-circuited a power transformer in the locality.
Residents of Saidapora near Iddgah made similar complaints saying police and CRPF damaged streetlights, water connections and even snapped power connections. Area had witnessed protests on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, 19 companies (nearly 2000 personnel) of paramilitary CRPF have reached Kashmir, while government sources said another 3,200 personnel, currently based in the state outside Kashmnir Valley, would be redeployed in sensitive areas.

QAMARWARI PROTESTS IMAM’S THRASHING
Residents of Qamarwari and adjoining Parimpora staged massive protest against the beating of an Imam of a local Masjid .
The locals said Mouvli Javed Ahmed of Handwara, presently an Imam a Masjid Nuh, Parimpora was picked up from rented accommodation.
They said the Imam was whisked away to nearby police station and beaten ruthlessly.
He was released in a moribund condition.

CRPF MEN THRASH HOSPITAL EMPLOYEE
Paramilitary CRPF troops Wednesday thrashed an employee of Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Hospital near Rainawari, sparking off protests from the staff, a local news agency said.
Quoting witnesses the news agency said that CRPF men intercepted an ambulance near Rainwari that was carrying the staff to the JLNM hospital. The troops ordered the staff members to get down and thrashed a staffer identified as Manzoor Ahmad, son of Muhammad Sadiq Pagwari. The troops detained the hospital employees for several hours. Following which JLNM employees staged a protest.
It was only after the intervention of the Station House Officer (SHO) Rainawari that the detained employee was allowed to go. “We have registered a case against the CRPF in this regard. Further investigations are on,” the news agency quoted SHO as having said.

17 WOUNDED IN CENTRAL KASHMIR
At least 17 persons including seven policemen were injured in clashes between protesters and forces central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
In Nagam area of Chadura fierce clashes broke out between forces and protesters last night. At least seven persons, one among them were critically injured in the clashes.
Reports said hundreds of people in Nagam area took to streets and staged pro-freedom and anti-India demonstrations last night. Besides shouting slogans, the protesters pelted rocks and stones on the forces. CRPF and police opened fire after they failed to disperse the demonstrators with tear smoke shells. Seven people were injured in the forces action.
The injured have been identified as Sarwar Ahmad, son of Ghulam Mohammad Rather, Gowhar Nabi, son of Ghulam Nabi Najar, Sami-ullah, son of Ashiq Hussain Ganai, Bilal, son of Ghulam Hassan, Javed, son of Khazir Mohammad Ganai, Zeba, daughter of Mohammad Ramzan Ganai and Rafiq, son of Abdul Khaliq Shah.
Rafiq was hit by a teargas shells fired by the forces. He was rushed to SMHS hospital, Srinagar for specialized treatment.

PROTESTS IN GANDERBAL
Protests amid curfew rocked several parts of this district on Wednesday.
At Kurhama, as a police vehicle was making rounds and announcing curfew, people in large numbers came out at staged protests.
They hurled stones of the police vehicle triggering clashes resulting in injuries to several persons including policemen.
Protests also rocked Saloora, Chak Duderhama, and Fatehpora areas of the district.
Protesters staged pro-freedom protests and raised slogans.
Ding-dong battles between protesters and forces were reported from Safapora.

SOUTH KASHMIR
Thousands of people defied curfew in south Kashmir’s Pulwama town and marched towards Khrew on Wednesday to express solidarity with the families who lost their dear ones in police and CRPF action earlier this week and the youth who were killed in a blast inside the SOG camp. The call for marching towards Khrew was given by the district unit of the Hurriyat Conference (G).
Early in the morning thousands of people from peripheries of Pampore including Samboora, Kakapora, Zewan, Tahab reached Pampore township where they were joined by thousands of other protesters and started marching towards Khrew amid pro-freedom slogans. Though strict curfew was in place in the entire area of Pampore and police and CRPF men were deployed in strength but seeing the sea of people swarming into the streets the forces provided safe passage to the protesters. People also used community speakers and loud speakers in Masjids warning police and CRPF men to let the demonstration proceed towards Khrew following which the entire deployment was withdrawn and the protesters went forward peacefully.
In Khrew a massive gathering was held in Eidgah, where the Hurriyat ( G) activists of Pulwama district addressed the protesters. A recorded address of Hizb Chief and United Jihad Council (UJC) Chairman, Syed Salahudin and Hurriyat, Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani was also played during the assembly and later a Fateh-Khwani was also held.

FORMER NC MLA BEATEN
Meanwhile, former NC, MLA from Pahalgam constituency , Kabeer Pathan who was on way to Srinagar was beaten to pulp by the people in Pampore. Pathan represented Pahalgam constituency during last NC regime of 1996.
“Pathan was proceeding towards Srinagar when the people of the town spotted his vehicle and intercepted it. They dragged him out and beat him up,” eyewitnesses said adding that later his personal guards fired in air and managed to take him along.

DEMOS ROCK PULWAMA
Meanwhile, violent protests rocked many areas of Pulwama town. Youth defied curfew and ransacked the tehsil office. They also tried to set it ablaze, however, the police and CRPF men foiled their attempt by resorting to aerial firing and lobbing tear gas canisters and dispersed the youth.
Reports of protest demonstrations were also reported from the adjoining villages of Awantipora, Tral and Kakpora.
In Shermal area of Shopian the protesters set ablaze a CRPF vehicle and also set ablaze the forest department. In Gagran village of the district people alleged that during the intervening night the CRPF and SOG men barged into their houses, ransacked the house hold goods and beat up the inmates including women and children. Some of them were later hospitalized in a critical condition.

KULGAM
Curfew was strictly enforced in Kulgam town, Frisal, Qaimoh and Khudwani area of the district. The area had witnessed violent protests from the last few days as three persons were killed and scores of others injured in the police and CRPF firing. However, in Ashmuji area massive pro-freedom demonstrations were organized and later the protesters attacked and ransacked the house of a local DSP. “Meanwhile, the condition of six youth who were critically injured in police firing on Tuesday in Frisal area continues to be critical,” doctors said.
One person was killed and fifteen had sustained bullet injuries in the firing incident.

ISLAMABAD
In Islamabad, strict curfew was enforced in the town and during the intervening night announcements were made from the police vehicle asking the people to stay indoors as shoot at sight orders have been issued. However, later in the evening when the restrictions were eased youth came out on the streets and fought pitched battles with police and Paramilitary forces at Khanabal, Batengoo, Naibasti , Gulshanabad and Laizbal areas of the K.P road.
The police fired several rounds in air and lobbed tear canisters to disperse the protesters who offered stiff resistance. Later, violent clashes also broke out in certain areas of old town including Dangerpora and Mattan Chowk also.
The residents of Malakhnag alleged that the CRPF men last night snapped the electricity supply in the area by damaging the transformer reeling it under complete darkness. Eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir that a Samajwadi party activist was ruthlessly beaten by the protesters at Laizbal late in the evening.
Reports of protests were also received from some area of Mattan like Nambal and Aakhoora, adjoining villages of Bijbehra, Achabal , Dooru, Shangus and Kokernag.
In the outskirts of the town in Dialgam people from the adjoining villages poured in and joined sit-in demonstrations which continued throughout the day. People had also erected tents and formed community langars.
In Dooru, Vodafone employee Shafiq Malik was beaten by the cops from police station Dooru without any provocation. “They also snatched his wrist watch and Rs 1600,”locals alleged.
Another resident, Muhammad Iqbal Ahangar was also thrashed mercilessly by cops.
Incidents triggered late night protests in the area.

POLICE VERSION
Meanwhile, a police spokesman in a statement here said: “Situation in the Kashmir valley remained by and large peaceful, however, one vehicle of IR 9th was damaged in Pampore by some miscreants and one condemned vehicle Gypsy bearing number JKE/6720 was set on fire by some miscreants in Qamarwari area.”
“In Shopian, protesters attacked the Forest Protection Force complex comprising of about ten buildings and tried to set on fire the complex and the vehicles parked in the compound. Police party immediately reached the spot was able to save eight buildings and three vehicles, however, protesters set ablaze two buildings and one Gypsy which gutted completely.”

CIVILIAN SHOT AT IN SOPUR, BUILDINGS TORCHED
Paramilitary CRPF troopers shot at and injured a civilian, Ishfaq Ahmed Gundroo, 20, in north Kashmir’s Sopur town this morning, witnesses told Greater Kashmir.
Late in the night, protesters pelted stones on the police station Sopur, police said, adding that protesters also torched buildings of PHE, Flood Control and Irrigation department on the outskirts of the town.
Meanwhile, a youth was wounded in the Varmul town late night when police fired rubber bullets on the protesters.
Earlier in the day, people staged massive demonstrations in old town and Khanpora areas of Varmul.

AMBULANCE ATTACKED IN KUPWARA
An ambulance was attacked and six employees beaten to pulp by CRPF and SOG men in frontier district of Kupwara on Wednesday.
“An ambulance (No. JK09 369) ferrying employees of the Health department was attacked by the CRPF and SOG men on Lolab Kupawra road,’ employees said. “ We were beaten to pulp without any reason.”
Meanwhile, people also took to streets in the Unisoo, Langate, Trehgam and other areas of Kupwara district.

BANDIPORE
Hundreds of people took to the streets in north Kashmir’s Bandipore district on Wednesday and staged massive pro-freedom demonstrations.
Policemen and paramilitary CRPF troopers who were deployed in strength in the area swung into action and resorted to baton charge and fired numerous tear smoke canisters to disperse the protesters. They retaliated with stones triggering clashes that continued all throughout the day.
In Hajam mohalla, Nowpora and Hospital road, hundreds of police and CRPF men were deployed to keep a check on public gatherings and protests. They blocked roads by barricades and razor wires to stop the civilian and vehicular movement.
Protests and clashes were on when this report was filed.

(With Parvaiz Reshi, Altaf Baba, Ghulam Muhammad, Sheikh Nazir and Khalid Gul)