Shopian chalo thwarted; 20 injured, 8 receive pellets Protest rallies stopped in old Srinagar; clashes in Nowhatta, Khanyar; Hurriyat leadership under house arrest ►RAJA MUZAFAR ALI◄ Srinagar, Sep 20: At least 20 people including two photojournalists were injured in clashes that erupted in old Srinagar on Friday after police and CRPF foiled the Shopian chalo program of Hurriyat Conference (M). Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had called for a march to the curfew-bound Shopian town, while Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani had called for protests after Friday prayers. Despite heavy deployment, hundreds of people early Friday morning assembled near Jamia Masjid in old Srinagar and started marching towards Shopian to express solidarity with civilians shot dead by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in two firing incidents. Reports said that heavy contingents of forces intercepted the rally near Khanyar Chowk. The forces burst tear smoke shells to disperse the protestors. However, the protestors pelted stones on the forces triggering clashes that continued till afternoon. The protestors were pushed towards Bohri Kadal. Soon after the Friday prayers, people again took out a massive protest rally. They were again intercepted near Khanyar Chowk. The forces used tear smoke shells and fired pellets on protesters. The protesters in return pelted stones on the forces and the pitched battles continued till late in the evening. The people, reports said, were chanting pro-freedom and anti-establishment slogans. They were demanding immediate arrest of forces personnel involved into the killing of civilians in Shopian. During the clashes, at least 20 people received injuries that included photojournalists Tawseef Mustafa of AFP and Ajaz Ahmad of Press TV. Among the injured, eight people have got injured due pellets fired by forces. Reports said that protests also erupted in Zadibal area after five persons were arrested by police. Reports said police arrested the youth from a shrine in the area who had taken shelter there during police chase. Though no protests were reported from civil lines areas of Srinagar, but the areas witnessed heavy deployment of forces to thwart any attempt of protests. Separatist leadership including chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Ghani Lone, Shahid-u-Islam, Zaffar Akber Bhat and others were placed under house arrest to prevent them from leading marches towards Shopian. Hurriyat Conference (M) has strongly denounced the use of force and “terror” employed by the administration to foil the Shopian protest march. The conglomerate strongly condemned the arrest of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and dozens of Hurriyat workers, house arrest of leaders and using of wanton force against all the people “who were marching towards Shopian to express solidarity with the people in view of the incessant curfew and pay tributes to five martyrs by offering congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid Shopian.” A spokesman of Hurriyat (M) said the freedom loving people of Shopian are being subjected to wanton oppression and curfew continues to be imposed there for past 14 days thus keeping them devoid of daily necessities like milk, vegetables and other things. “Entire pro-freedom leadership and Kashmiri nation who want to express solidarity with the residents of Shopian in these hours of hardships are being stopped from protesting against such an inhuman treatment to the Shopian inhabitants on gun point and by means of brutal force,” the spokesman said. He said in view of the Shopian chalo, the government has put entire Hurriyat leadership under house arrest or got them lodged in police lock-ups. “They also sealed all the roads leading to Shopian. Despite such restrictions, many Hurriyat leaders reached the peripheral areas of Shopian and visited the bereaved families.” Expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, the spokesman said that the leaders paid rich tributes to the “five martyrs” who were murdered in cold blood by the forces at Gagran Shopian earlier this month. “Mirwaiz Umar talked with the bereaved families on telephone. He offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved relatives, paid rich tributes to the martyrs and prayed for the deceased souls,” the spokesman said. The spokesman said authorities extended the house detention of Mirwaiz Umar for the 4th consecutive day Friday. He said that large posses of police surrounded his house and many roads leading to his residence were sealed. Other leaders who were put under house arrest included Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Moulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Gani lone, Agha Syed Hassan Al Moosvi Al Safvi, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam and Zaffar Akbar Bhat. The spokesman said that Mukhtar Ahmad Waza was arrested on his way to Shopian and locked up in police station Sadder Islamabad. Senior Hurriyat leader Salim Geelani was arrested and lodged at Rainwari police station while as Hakim Abdul Rashid was arrested previous night and lodged in Lal Bazaar police station. The spokesman said that despite the “attack by the police,” the procession led by Hurriyat leader Muhammad Shafi Khan and Yaqoob Masoodi reached Rangar Stop where they were again “attacked” by the police and paramilitary troops. He said that they beat people and fired tear gas canisters thereby injuring dozens of people in a bid to stop the Shopian march. The police also raided the historic Mirwaiz Manzil Rajouri Kadal, the head office of Awami Action Committee, and conducted a search operation there. The spokesman said that many Hurriyat leaders were successful in visiting the peripheral areas of Shopian and expressed solidarity and condoled with the family of martyrs. He said a Hurriyat delegation led by Musadiq Adil including Syed Bashir Andrabi, Abdul Majid Wani, Muhammad Farooq Mamoosi and Yasmeen Raja visited the bereaved families of the martyrs. Another delegation, the spokesman said, led by Muhammad Khalil, including Jehangir Gani Bhat, Chowdhary Shaheen Iqbal, Abdul Rashid Untoo visited Saidapora Shopian and met the bereaved families. Senior Hurriyat leader Javid Ahmed Mir along with dozens of Hurriyat activists succeeded in reaching Saidpora Shopian and addressed a gathering of people. Later he led a huge procession of people who were demanding punishment to the killers of Shopian youth. The spokesman said that senior Hurryiat leader GN Zaki offered prayers with Imam of Jamia Masjid Shopian in a local house as Jamia Masjid Shopian was under siege. Later they visited the house of Tawseef Ahmad Bhat. Reports reaching here from Baramulla said that clashes erupted between police and protesting youth Friday afternoon. Soon after the Friday prayers, reports said hundreds of people took out a procession and as they started to move towards Tehsil Road, heavy contingent of police stopped them, triggering clashes between the police and the protesting youths. Police lobbed scores of tear smoke shells to quell the agitating youths. Later clashes broke out near Khanpora Bridge and near Govt transport yard bridge which continued till evening. Meanwhile, strict restrictions were imposed by the authorities in Palhallan area of Pattan to prevent any clashes between the police and the protesting youths. All the shops were closed and almost all streets wore a deserted look. Two militants killed in a fierce gun battle between security forces and militants on Wednesday were residents of Palhallan area. A complete shutdown was also observed in Pattan area against the killing of two Hizb militants on Wednesday.
Posted on: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 03:12:12 +0000
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